Ring-Grazing Orbits News

Cassini will make the first of these five passes over Saturn at 12:22 am EDT Monday, August 14.

Using data from Cassini mission, scientists including those from University College London (UCL) in the UK, identified negatively charged molecules called 'carbon chain anions' in the atmosphere of Titan.

The 20-year-old spacecraft has been investigating the ringed planet for 13 years, thereby providing scientists with numerous insights into Saturn's structure and evolution.

The 20-year-old spacecraft has been investigating the ringed planet for 13 years, thereby providing scientists with numerous insights into Saturn's structure and evolution.

Cassini’s imaging cameras acquired these latest views on December 2 and 3, about two days before the first ring-grazing approach to the planet.

The spacecraft, which began its penultimate mission phase on November 30, crossed through the plane of Saturn's rings on December 4 at 5:09 a.m. PST (8:09 a.m. EST) at a distance of approximately 91,000 kilometres above the planet's cloud tops.

During the first two orbits, the spacecraft will pass directly through an extremely faint ring produced by tiny meteors striking Saturn's two small moons Janus and Epimetheus.

On November 30, Cassini will begin a daring set of Ring-Grazing Orbits, skimming past the outside edge of Saturn's main rings. 

On many of these passes, Cassini's instruments will attempt to directly sample ring particles and molecules of faint gases that are found close to the rings.