What did Cassini find on Enceladus?
Key Points. Cassini discovered that geyser-like jets spew water vapor and ice particles from an underground ocean beneath the icy crust of Enceladus.
When was the last time Cassini flew by Enceladus?
Cassini passed Enceladus at a distance of 3,106 miles (4,999 kilometers) on Saturday, Dec. 19, at 9:49 a.m. PST (12:49 p.m. EST). “This final Enceladus flyby elicits feelings of both sadness and triumph,” said Earl Maize, Cassini project manager at JPL.
How close to Enceladus did Cassini get on its closest flyby?
19, 2015. NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has begun transmitting data and images from the mission’s final close flyby of Saturn’s active moon Enceladus. Cassini passed Enceladus at a distance of 3,106 miles (4,999 kilometers) on Saturday, Dec.
Why did they crash Cassini?
Having expended almost every bit of the rocket propellant it carried to Saturn, operators deliberately plunged Cassini into the planet to ensure Saturn’s moons remain pristine for future exploration—in particular, the ice-covered, ocean-bearing moon Enceladus, but also Titan, with its intriguing pre-biotic chemistry.
What two surprising discoveries did Cassini make about the tiger stripes on Enceladus?
Later observations would confirm that the tiger stripes were fissures in the surface, and the plumes’ point of escape. It wasn’t just the presence of the plume that was a surprise to the scientists, but the volume of material it was pushing out. “It was a complete surprise,” Spilker said.
When did Cassini visit Enceladus?
Cassini made its closest Enceladus flyby on Oct. 9, 2008, at an altitude of 16 miles (25 kilometers). The unfolding story of Enceladus has been one of the great triumphs of Cassini’s historic mission at Saturn.
What planet did Cassini crash into?
Saturn
It began orbiting Saturn in 2004. On September 15, 2017, the 20-year Cassini mission ended in a “death dive” into Saturn’s upper atmosphere, collecting data until the spacecraft broke apart and became part of the planet it set out to explore.
Does Enceladus support life?
“Saturn moon, Enceladus, could support life in its subsurface ocean: Discovery provides more evidence that the.” ScienceDaily.
What is the significance of the tiger stripes on Enceladus?
Given their appearance and their geologic setting within a heavily tectonically deformed region, the tiger stripes are likely to be tectonic fractures. However, their correlation with internal heat and a large, water vapor plume suggests that tiger stripes might be the result of fissures in Enceladus’ lithosphere.
How was Cassini destroyed?
The Cassini space probe was deliberately disposed of via a controlled fall into Saturn’s atmosphere on September 15, 2017, ending its nearly two-decade-long mission.
Is NASA going to Enceladus?
If endorsed in the upcoming decadal survey and selected by NASA for development, Orbilander wouldn’t launch until 2038 and arrive at Enceladus until at least 2050. Part of that is driven by budget constraints—there’s only so much money to go around—but that’s also when Encleadus’ south pole will be in sunlight.
What are the blue lines on Enceladus?
This map shows the active south polar region of Saturn’s moon Enceladus. The long, linear, bluish features are the “tiger stripe” fractures, from which a plume of water vapor and other molecules erupts.