Cassini's Extended-Extended Mission, July 2010-June 2017 |
Cassini's Extended-Extended Mission, July 2010-June 2017 |
Feb 6 2009, 03:35 AM
Post
#1
|
|
Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 3241 Joined: 11-February 04 From: Tucson, AZ Member No.: 23 |
Perhaps now would be a good time to start a new thread on the Extended-Extended Mission.
http://www.space.com/news/090127-cassini-m...-extension.html -------------------- &@^^!% Jim! I'm a geologist, not a physicist!
The Gish Bar Times - A Blog all about Jupiter's Moon Io |
|
|
Jan 27 2010, 05:33 PM
Post
#2
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 655 Joined: 22-January 06 Member No.: 655 |
Oh it will surely happen - there's the definitive proof of the Rhea rings to confirm yet, the further radar coverage of Titan, the incomparable PR generated by the 'proximal orbits' and so on.
A saturn orbiter is surely priceless. |
|
|
Jan 27 2010, 05:56 PM
Post
#3
|
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3648 Joined: 1-October 05 From: Croatia Member No.: 523 |
there's the definitive proof of the Rhea rings to confirm yet There's nothing to confirm just yet. There is no discovery, only tantalizing hints and from what I've seen in various ISS observations apparently targeted at imaging the rings, that's going to be a very tough nut to crack. Not sure how other instruments would be able to nail the case. Would RADAR be able to get any reflection from a few boulders some thousands of km away? -------------------- |
|
|
Jan 27 2010, 07:33 PM
Post
#4
|
|
Interplanetary Dumpster Diver Group: Admin Posts: 4404 Joined: 17-February 04 From: Powell, TN Member No.: 33 |
The evidence is from particle and fields data (MIMI), not ISS. There is something there, the question is what that something is.
-------------------- |
|
|
Jan 27 2010, 08:31 PM
Post
#5
|
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3648 Joined: 1-October 05 From: Croatia Member No.: 523 |
I realize where the claim comes from. Didn't the same instrument pick up hints of activity on Dione? Highly suggestive and tantalizing stuff, but I wouldn't exactly call it evidence by itself. Yes, there definitely appears to be something there around Rhea, but we have no proof it's rings, hence my comment about confirmation with other instruments.
-------------------- |
|
|
Jan 27 2010, 09:19 PM
Post
#6
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 127 Joined: 18-July 05 Member No.: 438 |
The broad electron depletion seen by MIMI in 2005 can apparently be explained by a broad disk of debris orbiting Rhea; further narrow dropouts on either side of the moon suggested that discrete rings could be embedded in a more diffuse disk. CAPS also saw a similar broad decrease during a more distant flyby in 2007; both the flybys were downstream, so not providing the full picture of the plasma-moon/debris interaction. The next close Rhea flyby's little over a month away on March 2nd; inbound slightly downstream of Rhea in the plasma flow, outbound slightly upstream - maybe we'll get a better picture of what's going on there from those observations.
Hints of activity at Dione came from the magnetometer data, and some have interpreted features seen by CAPS as being signs of plasma release at Dione and Tethys. |
|
|
Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 23rd September 2024 - 11:00 PM |
RULES AND GUIDELINES Please read the Forum Rules and Guidelines before posting. IMAGE COPYRIGHT |
OPINIONS AND MODERATION Opinions expressed on UnmannedSpaceflight.com are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of UnmannedSpaceflight.com or The Planetary Society. The all-volunteer UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderation team is wholly independent of The Planetary Society. The Planetary Society has no influence over decisions made by the UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderators. |
SUPPORT THE FORUM Unmannedspaceflight.com is funded by the Planetary Society. Please consider supporting our work and many other projects by donating to the Society or becoming a member. |