Ferchi

Getting closer to TitanIrregular bright and dark regions of yet unidentified composition and character are becoming increasingly visible on Titan's surface as Cassini approaches its scheduled first flyby of Saturn's largest moon on July 2, 2004. [Posted: June 25]Phoebe likely born in outer solar systemNASA unveiled a spectacular high-resolution mosaic of Saturn's enigmatic moon Phoebe today, along with other data from the Saturn-bound Cassini probe showing the moon formed in the extreme outer solar system and later was captured by the ringed planet's gravity. [Posted: June 23]Additional coverage for subscribers:VIDEO:WATCH THE PHOEBE FLYBY SCIENCE RESULTS BRIEFING VIDEO:ANIMATION SHOWS CASSINI'S ENCOUNTER WITH PHOEBE Cassini opens a cosmic time capsule with Phoebe flybyLike a woolly mammoth trapped in Arctic ice, Saturn's small moon Phoebe may be a frozen artifact of a bygone era, some four billion years ago. The finding is suggested by new data from the Cassini spacecraft. [Posted: June 23]New view of Saturn's rings and moons from CassiniSaturn's magnificent rings show some of their intricate structure in this image taken by the Cassini spacecraft's narrow angle camera. Although they appear to be solid structures, the rings are composed of billions of individual particles, each one orbiting the planet on its own path. [Posted: June 21]Saturn in infraredSaturn's bright equatorial band displays an exquisite swirl near the planet's eastern limb. This image was taken with the Cassini spacecraft's narrow angle camera from a distance of 14.5 million miles from Saturn. [Posted: June 18]Cassini maneuver sets stage for Saturn arrivalThe Saturn-bound Cassini spacecraft's main engine fired for 38 seconds Wednesday, slowing the vehicle by about 8 mph and putting it on course for Saturn orbit insertion the night of June 30, project officials said. [Posted: June 17]Saturn's swirl imagedOn its approach to Saturn orbit insertion, the narrow angle camera on the Cassini spacecraft snapped this image of a turbulent swirl in the high clouds of Saturn's atmosphere. The disturbance occurs in the southern edge of the equatorial band. [Posted: June 15]Phoebe's surface gives scientists clues to its originImages collected during Cassini's close flyby of Saturn's moon, Phoebe, have yielded strong evidence that the tiny object may contain ice-rich material, overlain with a thin layer of darker material perhaps 300 to 500 meters (980 to 1,600 feet) thick. [Posted: June 14]Saturn's moon Phoebe revealed in stunning detailExtraordinary new images taken by the Cassini spacecraft during its close encounter with Saturn's mysterious moon Phoebe were released by scientists Sunday. The must-see pictures show in great detail the cratered surface of the tiny moon. [Posted: June 13]Close-up views of Phoebe shows moon's battered pastFirst images from the Cassini flyby of Phoebe reveal it to be a scarred, cratered outpost with a very old surface and a mysterious past, and a great deal of variation in surface brightness across its surface. [Posted: June 12]Cassini makes close observations of PhoebeWith its flyby of Phoebe on Friday, the Cassini spacecraft has completed the first encounter in its four-year tour of the Saturn system. "One down, 52 to go," the mission's chief navigator said Saturday from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. [Posted: June 12]Countdown to PhoebeAs Cassini sails toward its rendezvous with Phoebe, details on the small, dark moon are coming into view at a dizzying pace. Images taken Thursday, just one day prior to closest approach, provide a dramatic increase in sharpness and information. [Posted: June 11]Saturn's storm alleyThis image from the Cassini spacecraft shows several dark storms confined to a region below 30 degrees south latitude in Saturn's atmosphere. This turbulent region has produced quite a few storms during Cassini's approach to Saturn, including some that have merged. [Posted: June 11]Cassini to examine Saturn's mysterious 'black' moonThe science team is eager to study the data and images returned this week when the Cassini spacecraft makes the closest-ever flyby of Saturn's moon Phoebe. The information obtained from Friday's encounter will help scientists determine the icy moon's surface composition and properties. [Posted: June 9]Cassini getting ever closer to colorful SaturnAs Cassini coasts into the final month of its nearly seven-year trek, the serene majesty of its destination looms ahead. The spacecraft's cameras are functioning beautifully and continue to return stunning views from Cassini's position, 750 million miles from Earth and now 9.8 million miles from Saturn. [Posted: June 3]Cassini spacecraft executes crucial rocket firingFor the first time in nearly five years, the Cassini spacecraft's main engine system ignited Thursday evening for a critical course adjustment that will serve as a dress rehearsal of sorts for Saturn orbit insertion July 1. [Posted: May 27]Spacecraft near and far are watching SaturnAs Saturn grows closer through the eyes of the Cassini spacecraft, which is hurtling toward a rendezvous with the ringed world on June 30, both Cassini and the Earth-orbiting Hubble Space Telescope snapped spectacular pictures of the planet and its magnificent rings. [Posted: May 26]Cassini shows rings and shadows at SaturnSaturn's rings cast threadlike shadows on the planet's northern hemisphere in this image from the Cassini spacecraft. The picture was taken at a distance of 16.9 million miles from Saturn. [Posted: May 25]Casssini sees smaller moons of SaturnTwo of Saturn's moons -- Prometheus and Pandora -- are seen here shepherding the planet's narrow F-ring in this latest image from the approaching Cassini spacecraft. [Posted: May 24]Cassini peers closer at TitanThe Cassini orbiter continues its observations of Saturn's mysterious moon Titan, stealing another early peek at the haze-enshrouded surface. Cassini's view of Titan now surpasses Earth-based observations in its ability to show detail. [Posted: May 21]Scientists look to Saturn moon in search for lifeWhile the Cassini spacecraft has been flying toward Saturn, chemists on Earth have been making plastic pollution like that raining through the atmosphere of Saturn's moon, Titan. Scientists suspect that organic solids have been falling from Titan's sky for billions of years and might be compounds that set the stage for the next chemical step toward life. [Posted: May 17]Latest Cassini image shows bands of clouds and laceAs Cassini nears its rendezvous with Saturn, new detail in the banded clouds of the planet's atmosphere are becoming visible. Cassini began the journey to the ringed world of Saturn nearly seven years ago and is now less than two months away from orbit insertion on June 30. [Posted: May 14]Cassini spies on TitanThe veils of Saturn's most mysterious moon have begun to lift in Cassini's eagerly awaited first glimpse of the surface of Titan, a world where scientists believe organic matter rains from hazy skies and seas of liquid hydrocarbons dot a frigid surface. [Posted: May 6]Cassini snaps its final full view of Saturn and ringsSaturn and its rings completely fill the field of view of Cassini's narrow angle camera in this natural color image. It is the last single "eyeful" of Saturn and its rings achievable with the camera on approach to the planet. From now until orbit insertion, Saturn and its rings will be larger than the field of view of the camera. [Posted: April 29]Four ways to see SaturnA montage of Cassini images, taken in four different regions of the spectrum from ultraviolet to near-infrared, demonstrates that there is more to Saturn than meets the eye. Cassini is two months away from entering orbit around Saturn. [Posted: April 24] Cassini spots Saturn moonsCassini has sighted Prometheus and Pandora, the two F-ring-shepherding moons whose unpredictable orbits both fascinate scientists and wreak havoc on the ring. The moons, which were discovered in images returned by the Voyager 1 spacecraft in 1980, are in chaotic orbits that can change when the moons get very close to each other. [Posted: April 17]Antares rocket cleared for cargo launch from Virginia BY WILLIAM HARWOOD