ikenbot: Saturn’s Rings are Back NASA | JPL-Caltech | Cassini Solstice Mission | CICLOPS It’s been nearly two years since NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has had views like these of Saturn’s glorious rings. These views are possible again because Cassini has changed the angle at which it orbits Saturn and regularly passes above and below Saturn’s equatorial plane. Steeply inclined orbits around the Saturn system also allow scientists to get better views of the poles and atmosphere of Saturn and its moons. Cassini’s recent return of ring images has started to pay off. A group of scientists has restarted the team’s studies of propeller-shaped gaps. These gaps are cleared out by objects that are smaller than known moons but larger than typical ring particles. Cassini scientists haven’t seen propellers in two years. Matt Tiscareno, a Cassini imaging team associate at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., and colleagues have been following these objects for several years. Because some of the propellers are exactly where models predicted they would be, scientists believe they are seeing some old friends again.

∞ 7/10/2012 (11:47am) 590 notes

ikenbot:

Saturn’s Rings are Back

NASA | JPL-Caltech | Cassini Solstice Mission | CICLOPS

It’s been nearly two years since NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has had views like these of Saturn’s glorious rings.

These views are possible again because Cassini has changed the angle at which it orbits Saturn and regularly passes above and below Saturn’s equatorial plane. Steeply inclined orbits around the Saturn system also allow scientists to get better views of the poles and atmosphere of Saturn and its moons.

Cassini’s recent return of ring images has started to pay off. A group of scientists has restarted the team’s studies of propeller-shaped gaps. These gaps are cleared out by objects that are smaller than known moons but larger than typical ring particles.

Cassini scientists haven’t seen propellers in two years. Matt Tiscareno, a Cassini imaging team associate at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., and colleagues have been following these objects for several years. Because some of the propellers are exactly where models predicted they would be, scientists believe they are seeing some old friends again.

(via scinerds)

Notes (590)

  1. indisp0sed reblogged this from southeuropeanocean
  2. southeuropeanocean reblogged this from periousia
  3. escribelobien reblogged this from a-mess-of-details
  4. saywutagain reblogged this from icagic
  5. classy-goddess reblogged this from agnomis
  6. agnomis reblogged this from geologise
  7. dojessi reblogged this from geologise
  8. icagic reblogged this from ikenbot
  9. everythingisairight reblogged this from geologise
  10. starryoceanskywaves reblogged this from geologise
  11. bluedumplings reblogged this from geologise
  12. windwakers reblogged this from periousia
  13. 48x18 reblogged this from jimikissedthesky
  14. herlittleshadow reblogged this from jimikissedthesky
  15. jimikissedthesky reblogged this from mothernaturenetwork
  16. wearesayingthankyou reblogged this from gorgeousfever
  17. monochromeweb reblogged this from gorgeousfever
  18. im-turtles reblogged this from geologise
  19. gorgeousfever reblogged this from quantumaniac
  20. knightworg reblogged this from quantumaniac
  21. hypotype reblogged this from slowtide
  22. kamilla-sefer7 reblogged this from ikenbot
  23. jonquille-s reblogged this from geologise
  24. eveskywalker reblogged this from geologise
  25. pulpless-fiction reblogged this from ikenbot
  26. fresh-prince-of-hell-air reblogged this from ikenbot
  27. paulimalakou reblogged this from geologise
  28. preppyloser reblogged this from ikenbot
  29. zaydenskyler reblogged this from ikenbot
  30. dustysaurus reblogged this from quantumaniac
  31. reali-teaparty reblogged this from starseedthoughts
  32. someone-almost-famous reblogged this from ikenbot
  33. ontoxen reblogged this from grey-icewater
  34. grey-icewater reblogged this from iamthetigress
  35. iamthetigress reblogged this from theothersideofthebear
  36. onseeingandnoticing reblogged this from mothernaturenetwork
  37. we-the-universe reblogged this from ikenbot
  38. clatko reblogged this from ikenbot