Posted on 12/18/2015 2:42:04 PM PST by BenLurkin
Cassini is due to pass 3,106 miles from Enceladus at 12:49 p.m. EST. Scientists want to use the flyby to study how much heat is coming up through the ice from the moon's interior. The measurements will help researchers figure out what is driving Enceladus' plumes.
"Understanding how much warmth Enceladus has in its heart provides insight into its remarkable geologic activity," Cassini project scientist Linda Spilker, with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., said in a statement.
Cassini will continue to observe Enceladus during the remainder of its mission, but it will be at least four times farther away than Saturday's close approach.
Cassini has been as close as 16 miles above Enceladus, a pass completed in October 2008. Saturday's flyby is Cassini's 22nd visit to Enceladus.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.discovery.com ...
Juno will be arriving at Jupiter next July so we get to take some new looks at that planet. Its primarily for atmospheric studies but I’m guessing we’ll see a few new looks at the moons.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/juno/main/index.html
I had a nice suede Cassini jacket as a teenager.
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