Posted on 07/25/2017 9:47:51 PM PDT by MtnClimber
As NASA's Cassini spacecraft makes its unprecedented series of weekly dives between Saturn and its rings, scientists are finding—so far—that the planet's magnetic field has no discernable tilt. This surprising observation, which means the true length of Saturn's day is still unknown, is just one of several early insights from the final phase of Cassini's mission, known as the Grand Finale.
Other recent science highlights include promising hints about the structure and composition of the icy rings, along with high-resolution images of the rings and Saturn's atmosphere. Cassini is now in the 15th of 22 weekly orbits that pass through the narrow gap between Saturn and its rings. The spacecraft began its finale on April 26 and will continue its dives until Sept. 15, when it will make a mission-ending plunge into Saturn's atmosphere.
"Cassini is performing beautifully in the final leg of its long journey," said Cassini Project Manager Earl Maize at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. "Its observations continue to surprise and delight as we squeeze out every last bit of science that we can get."
Cassini scientists are thrilled as well—and surprised in some cases—with the observations being made by the spacecraft in the finale. "The data we are seeing from Cassini's Grand Finale are every bit as exciting as we hoped, although we are still deep in the process of working out what they are telling us about Saturn and its rings," said Cassini Project Scientist Linda Spilker at JPL.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailygalaxy.com ...
I count 8 seconds between double posts! :P
Very cool that you’re involved with that mission. The edge of discovery.
NASA was building HD imaging systems for mission specific tasks, not the consumer market, and deployed 4K cameras to observe the sun way before anyone heard of 4K at the local Costco.
I’m one of the mission controllers for Cassini at JPL...the current one-way light time is: 1 H 16 M.
Thank you for the kind reply. I was just guessing at it based on knowing it takes light eight minutes from Sun to earth.
Also 'guesstimating' distance from earth to Saturn I figured about an hour or a little more.
Looks like I did get my guess in the 'ol ballpark......as they say...
Pretty good guesstimating, huh?
Thanks Again 
If one expects the unexpected, is it really unexpected?
LOL. It’s amazing how the definition and resolution on a c.1997, twenty year old camera equipment on Cassini has somehow... somehow gotten BETTER over the years.
You do know that NASA has admitted that all of their “photographs” of earth are fakes and or composites?
Please provide the exact specs of the Cassini camera; I’ll forward your information to the guy who did the research on how Cassini’s low res photos from the 1990’s have suddenly became HD imaging.
And can isolate earth in a ‘photo” from a BILLION miles away? With nary another star in the shot?
This reminds me - gotta clean the fridge.
You’re a f***ing kook... LOL!!!
Yes, I’m laughing at you, now go off and live on your flat earth with the rest of the other the kooks... or is your mother’s basement still available?
LOL again.
Just provide the specs on Cassini's camera...
...since you purported that it was HD 4K back in 1997...
... and since NASA itself has admitted there are no actual photographs of earth ever taken.
Meanwhile, here is the word "SEX" written in the fake blue marble composite (not a photograph) from 2012
It's a mate to the 2015 blue marble fake image where again "SEX" is written in the clouds here:
Just provide the specs on Cassini's cameras that were using 1990's technology... >p> And again NASA has admitted they have no actual photographs of earth!
Here's another good one...
Which side of the flat earth do you live on, top or bottom?
Ad hominem attacks... really? LOL
Stick to the subject at hand: what were you saying again about the Cassini’s circa 1990’s cameras having HD 4K resolution?
Please provide specs.
You’re such a dumbass, my reference to 4K had nothing to do with Casini’s ISS. It was an example of HD NASA imaging technology being used well in advance of its introduction into the consumer market.
But you’re dumb so I can understand why that went over your head 10 feet untouched. Your mother really needs restrict your basement privileges.
LOL
Let’s discuss “dumb”. Do you believe 1997 camera tech on the Cassini can take a photo of the earth from 1 billion miles away?
And if you do, again, please give the technical specifications of said camera after your idiotic argument.
Try real math instead of spewing NASA’s leftwing, Muslim-loving, climate change-y fakery next time.
You’re a f***ing kook, it’s obvious you live in world that doesn’t exist. Mom’s basement has become your boundary for reality.
I bet you believe that the internet doesn’t really exist either... because you read it on the internet.
My Lord, are you in high school?
Are these juvenile responses because you can’t or won’t answer the question about the specs for the c. 1997 cameras on Cassini?
All of those good pictures of the damage to Apollo 13 Service Module near the moon (238.000 miles) were taken by spy satellites built in the 1960’s.
Also from 1997:
Two months later in December '97, all the cool kids would have one of these:
Shortly thereafter, everyone else had one as well.
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