Congratulations to the Cassini team

Ares · Post by **Ares** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 6:01 pm

lordhellion · Post by **lordhellion** » Fri Jul 02, 2004 3:03 pm

Wait, we made into Saturn's orbit and the rings still look like groves in an LP? Does that make any sense?

3278 · Post by **3278** » Fri Jul 02, 2004 4:29 pm

Well, the particles that make up the rings are moving at several thousand miles per hour, in orbit around the planet. In order to resolve detail, Cassini would need to match their speed; I'm uncertain if that's planned. It would be spectacularly difficult, however.

I'm still holding out hope Huygens will find life on Titan.

Kwyndig · Post by **Kwyndig** » Fri Jul 02, 2004 7:00 pm

I'm still holding out hope that Cassini won't crash into Titan, this is NASA, after all...

TLM · Post by **TLM** » Fri Jul 02, 2004 7:40 pm

Huygens is an ESA craft. So unless NASA fucked up something fierce on their orbit calculations (or whatever) Cassini crashing into Titan is highly unlikely. Then again... this is NASA....

JetPlane · Post by **JetPlane** » Fri Jul 02, 2004 9:19 pm

Wait, we made into Saturn's orbit and the rings still look like groves in an LP? Does that make any sense?

Well, various parts of the ring have spaces caused by the planet's pull or something or other. Plus, they believe the rings were caused by its massive gravitational pull and therefore, dragging in previous moons or other large bodies into the surface and breaking them into many, many pieces and then keeping the debris because the pull rocks that hard. Anyway, they're supposed to be there.

3278 · Post by **3278** » Sat Jul 03, 2004 1:14 am

JetPlane wrote:Well, various parts of the ring have spaces caused by the planet's pull or something or other.

The gravitational pull of the so-called "shepherd moons."

Cash · Post by **Cash** » Sat Jul 03, 2004 11:55 pm

I'm naming mine Alan.

*ahem*
From here...

Much of the elaborate structure of the rings is due to gravitational effects of nearby satellites. This phenomenon is demonstrated by the relationship between the F-ring and two small moons Prometheus and Pandora that shepherd the ring material. The F-ring shows a complex structure made up of two narrow, braided, bright rings along which "knots" are visible. Scientists speculate that the knots may be clumps of ring material, or mini moons.

More here also...

UncleJoseph · Post by **UncleJoseph** » Sun Jul 11, 2004 8:32 pm

Some news about Cassini

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassi ... -0703.html

Cash · Post by **Cash** » Sun Jul 11, 2004 10:45 pm

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassi ... -0703.html

UncleJoseph · Post by **UncleJoseph** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 11:48 am

Thanks Cash...silly me...