published two new images of Saturn’s moon Dione in the best possible resolution for the moment, the pictures were made spacecraft “Cassini” at the time of his last rendezvous with the satellite, reports NASA website.
NASA released photos taken by the spacecraft Cassini during the closest approach to the surface of Dione. Cassini flew at an altitude of 474 kilometers above the surface of Dione on August 17, and transmitted to Earth images of the surface of the satellite. These are the last pictures that Earthlings will see in the coming decades. The photos were published on the official website of NASA.
The main function of Cassini rendezvous with the satellite was to study the gravity rather than photographing the surface, so taking pictures was somewhat complicated. However, Cassini made a few photos, the quality of which allows you to see the main features of the surface of Saturn’s moon.
After a rendezvous with Dione in 2015. The Cassini station will make 14 and 28 October and 19 December next flight from Enceladus – the most likely (currently) known to science a candidate for the possibility of extraterrestrial life in the solar system. Since October 28, the station will be at a distance of 49 kilometers from the surface of Saturn’s moon – minimal in the history of his research.
The station is to fly through the plume consisting of frozen particles spewed kriovulkanami Enceladus, and collect data on them composition. It could help scientists refine existing models of the internal structure of Saturn, in particular, the temperature conditions in its under-ice ocean, the existence of which most scientists have no doubts.
In December Cassini will approach Enceladus (at a distance of 4999 kilometers from the surface). After that station until the end of 2017 should make several flights near other moons of Saturn (in particular, small Daphnis, Telesto and Epimetheus), but at a relatively far away distances (no more than 50 thousand kilometers from the surface). This will give them the best quality images.
All during his last mission (known as Grand Finale) from the end of 2016 until the end of 2017 the station Cassini will make several flights in the space between the rings of Saturn and explores the regular changes in atmospheric gas giant.
The first pictures of Dione were obtained in the early 1980s station Voyager during its flight near Saturn and satellites. Dione diameter reaches 1123 kilometers, and it takes an average size among the spherical satellites of the planet. Title IV Saturn due to the history of the discovery of a celestial body. The satellite is presumably a mixture of water ice and rock.
Dion – the fourth largest moon of Saturn with a diameter of 1123 kilometers. Cosmologists believe that the satellite has a dense core surrounded by ice, and 1.48 times denser than water. The temperature of the satellite on average minus 186 degrees Celsius. For the first time images of Dione received station Voyager 35 years ago. In May this year, Cassini has sent a farewell photo of another moon of Saturn – Hyperion.
At the end of September 2010 “Cassini” began a new phase of its mission, dubbed “Solstice» (Solstice): deadline extended to work unit 2017, and the probe will give scientists the first opportunity to examine in detail all of the seasonal period of Saturn.
The last phase of the life of the probe, which received the name “Final Opera» (Grand Finale) by a vote among the visitors to the site NASA will begin at the end of 2016. “Cassini” will make a series of potentially dangerous maneuvers, which will enable astronomers to look at Saturn and its satellites with new angles. In the final scheduled pit “Cassini” with Saturn and collect unique data on the structure and physical properties of the layers of its atmosphere.
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