Skip to content
Vatican Observatory
  • About
    • Overview
    • Team
    • FAQ
  • Telescopes
    • Overview
    • Telescope Images
  • Tours
    • Castel Gandolfo
    • U.S.
  • Latest
    • Overview
    • Resources
    • Press
    • Audio
    • Video
    • Research
    • Authors
      • FAQs
    • Newsletter
    • Tucson Meteor Cameras
  • Podcast
  • Education
    • Overview
    • Resource Center
    • Image Gallery
    • Summer School
    • Books
    • Software
    • Additional Resources
    • ACME
  • Shop
  • Calendar
    • View our Event Calendar
  • Donate
    • Donate Now
    • Smart Ways to Give
    • Sacred Space Astronomy
      • View Content
    • Bequests / Trusts
    • The Foundation
      • Newsletters
      • Annual Reports
  • Press
    • VO in the News
    • Press Kit
  • Specola Vaticana
  • Contact
    • Contact
  • About
    • Overview
    • Team
    • FAQ
  • Telescopes
    • Overview
    • Telescope Images
  • Tours
    • Castel Gandolfo
    • U.S.
  • Latest
    • Overview
    • Resources
    • Press
    • Audio
    • Video
    • Research
    • Authors
      • FAQs
    • Newsletter
    • Tucson Meteor Cameras
  • Podcast
  • Education
    • Overview
    • Resource Center
    • Image Gallery
    • Summer School
    • Books
    • Software
    • Additional Resources
    • ACME
  • Shop
  • Calendar
    • View our Event Calendar
  • Donate
    • Donate Now
    • Smart Ways to Give
    • Sacred Space Astronomy
      • View Content
    • Bequests / Trusts
    • The Foundation
      • Newsletters
      • Annual Reports
  • Press
    • VO in the News
    • Press Kit
  • Specola Vaticana
  • Contact
    • Contact

Cassini Returns to a Near Equatorial Orbit Around Saturn

By Robert Trembley  |  1 Apr 2015

Share:
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share via Email
After a couple of years in high-inclination orbits that limited its ability to encounter Saturn’s moons, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft returned to Saturn’s equatorial plane in March 2015. Image: Rhea. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute

A dual view of Saturn‘s icy moon Rhea marks the return of NASA’s Cassini spacecraft to the realm of the planet’s icy satellites. This follows nearly two years during which the spacecraft’s orbits carried it high above the planet’s poles. Those paths limited the mission’s ability to encounter the moons, apart from regular flybys of Titan.

Cassini’s orbit will remain nearly equatorial for the remainder of 2015, during which the spacecraft will have four close encounters with Titan, two with Dione and three with the geyser-moon, Enceladus.

Titan is Saturn’s largest moon. It is surrounded by a thick, hazy golden atmosphere of mostly nitrogen, with some methane, and hydrocarbons. Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute
Dione’s features include heavily cratered terrain with craters as large as 100 km (62 miles) across, moderately cratered plains, lightly cratered plains and fractured areas. Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute
Enceladus is one of the most scientifically compelling bodies in our solar system. The moon displays at least five different types of terrain, and has geysers of water vapor that gush out to a distance of three times the moons radius. Credit: Cassini Imaging Team, SSI, JPL, ESA, NASA

The two views of Rhea were taken about an hour-and-a-half apart on Feb. 9, 2015, when Cassini was about 30,000 to 50,000 miles (50,000 to 80,000 kilometers) away from the moon. Cassini officially began its new set of equatorial orbits on March 16.

The views show an expanded range of colors from those visible to human eyes in order to highlight subtle color variations across Rhea’s surface. In natural color, the moon’s surface is fairly uniform. The image at right represents the highest-resolution color view of Rhea released to date.

The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Italian Space Agency. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, manages the mission for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. The Cassini imaging operations center is based at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado.

Simulation of the Cassini Spacecraft on April 11, 2015 from NASA Eyes on the Solar System app. Simulation of the Cassini Spacecraft on April 11, 2015 from NASA Eyes on the Solar System app.

More information about Cassini, visit:http://www.nasa.gov/cassini  and  http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov

Media Contacts

Preston Dyches
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-354-7013
preston.dyches@jpl.nasa.gov

Steve Mullins
Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colo.
720-974-5859
media@ciclops.org

Source: JPL Press Release 2015-103

Share:
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share via Email

Sacred Space Astronomy

The Vatican Observatory’s official digital community and online magazine.

Become a Member

Recent Posts

From the Backyard: Pope Leo XIV, Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum and AI

By Fr. James Kurzynski  |  12 May 2025

Ellerman Bomb

11 May 2025  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

AI and the Vatican Observatory: Looking GOOD!

By Mr. Christopher Graney  |  10 May 2025  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

ⓜ Full Moon-th Meetup with Bob Trembley – May 12, 2025

By Robert Trembley  |  9 May 2025  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

Archives

      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • August
      • June
      • March
      • January
      • November
      • October
      • December
      • November
      • April
      • May
      • January
      • December
      • September
      • May
      • March
      • December
      • November
      • February

More Posts by
Robert Trembley

ⓜ Full Moon-th Meetup with Bob Trembley – May 12, 2025

By Robert Trembley  |  9 May 2025  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

How to Pray with the Stars with Br. Guy Consolmagno, SJ – AMDG Podcast

By Robert Trembley  |  7 May 2025  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

Vatican astronomer visits Mount St Mary’s College

Independent Catholic News  |  7 May 2025  |  Press

Astronomy & Space Science Education & Public Outreach Newsletter – Apr. 2025, Part 2

By Robert Trembley  |  1 May 2025  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

Pope Francis’ approach to science and faith emphasized our duty to wield both with care | Opinion

The Philadelphia Inquirer  |  22 Apr 2025  |  Press

The life of Pope Francis through the eyes of his Jesuit brothers

By Robert Trembley  |  21 Apr 2025  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

View More

Newsletter

Upcoming astronomical events, scientific breakthroughs, philosophical reflections… just a few reasons to subscribe to our newsletter!

Vatican Observatory
  • About
  • Telescopes
  • Tours
  • Latest
  • Podcast
  • Education
  • Shop
  • Calendar
  • Donate
  • Press
  • Specola Vaticana
  • Contact
Privacy Policy  |   Cookie Policy  |   Disclosure Statement  |   This website is supported by the Vatican Observatory Foundation

Podcast:

  • Apple Podcasts Listen onApple Podcasts
  • Spotify Listen onSpotify
  • Google Podcasts Listen onGoogle Podcasts
  • Stitcher Listen onStitcher
  • Amazon Alexa Listen onAmazon Alexa
  • TuneIn Listen onTuneIn
Made by Longbeard