Space
NASA Cassini Spacecraft Flies By Icy, Oceanic World, Enceladus
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Nov 02, 2015 09:11 AM EST
NASA's Cassini spacecraft has officially begun transmitting the latest images of Saturn's icy, geologically active moon, Enceladus. Now, scientists are taking a closer look at the stunning geysers captured in these new images.
"Cassini's stunning images are providing us a quick look at Enceladus from this ultra-close flyby, but some of the most exciting science is yet to come," said Linda Spilker, one of the researchers, in a news release.
Researchers are planning on studying data from Cassini's gas analyzer and dust detector instruments, which directly sampled the moon's plume of gas and dust-sized particles during the flyby. Those analyses are likely to take several weeks, but should provide important insights about the composition of the global ocean beneath Enceladus' surface and any hydrothermal activity occurring on the ocean floor.
In fact, the new information may tell researchers whether this small ocean world is a target for future exploration in search of habitable environments in our solar system beyond Earth. If this ocean is active, it's possible that small organisms may thrive within it.
With that said, it will be some time before researchers fully look through all of the information.
Cassini's final encounter with Enceladus will take place on Dec. 19, which is when the spacecraft will measure the amount of heat coming from the moon's interior.
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First Posted: Nov 02, 2015 09:11 AM EST
NASA's Cassini spacecraft has officially begun transmitting the latest images of Saturn's icy, geologically active moon, Enceladus. Now, scientists are taking a closer look at the stunning geysers captured in these new images.
"Cassini's stunning images are providing us a quick look at Enceladus from this ultra-close flyby, but some of the most exciting science is yet to come," said Linda Spilker, one of the researchers, in a news release.
Researchers are planning on studying data from Cassini's gas analyzer and dust detector instruments, which directly sampled the moon's plume of gas and dust-sized particles during the flyby. Those analyses are likely to take several weeks, but should provide important insights about the composition of the global ocean beneath Enceladus' surface and any hydrothermal activity occurring on the ocean floor.
In fact, the new information may tell researchers whether this small ocean world is a target for future exploration in search of habitable environments in our solar system beyond Earth. If this ocean is active, it's possible that small organisms may thrive within it.
With that said, it will be some time before researchers fully look through all of the information.
Cassini's final encounter with Enceladus will take place on Dec. 19, which is when the spacecraft will measure the amount of heat coming from the moon's interior.
Related Stories
ESA Rosetta Spacecraft Discovers Comet Has Oxygen in Its Atmosphere
Artificial Intelligence Peers into the Hearts of Galaxies
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone