Rev 227, Nov 30th - Dec 13th |
Rev 227, Nov 30th - Dec 13th |
Nov 26 2015, 07:28 PM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 655 Joined: 22-January 06 Member No.: 655 |
Details for this revolution are available here
This is the orbit I've been looking forward to for some time as it affords us a closer glimpse at Atlas, Prometheus and Epimetheus. In fact, Cassini approaches the latter two at a closer range than it will for the remainder of the mission, and observations are planned for both, as well as Atlas. This, despite having to turn the spacecraft and use the high-gain antenna as a shield during ring-plane crossing to avoid any possible collisions with debris in the ring-plane. This must have been an extra-specially complicated sequence of observations to plan, as it all happens at or around periapse. I'm really looking forward to another view of Atlas particularly - can't wait!!! Jase |
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Dec 8 2015, 08:08 PM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 655 Joined: 22-January 06 Member No.: 655 |
Very nice renderings everyone!
Incidentally, it looks as though the pointing for the Atlas sequence was fractionally off as it falls right on the edge of the FoV in the images. Understandable though as its orbit is somewhat unpredictable. From Wikipedia: "Atlas is significantly perturbed by Prometheus and to a lesser degree by Pandora, leading to excursions in longitude of up to 600 km (~0.25°) away from the precessing Keplerian orbit with a rough period of about 3 years. Since the orbits of Prometheus and Pandora are chaotic, it is suspected that Atlas's may be as well.[1]" Doubtless Aegaeon's imaging sequence on the next orbit has been designed to take account of that moon's orbital uncertainty. Add to that it's a very close, fairly fast flyby, of a moon that has a low albedo, and is tiny even compared to Atlas... This shows the wisdom of the dozens (hundreds?) of astrometric observations of the small moons the Cassini team has written into the sequences on almost every revolution in recent years, refining their orbits to the finest degree possible. |
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Dec 8 2015, 08:28 PM
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Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 3233 Joined: 11-February 04 From: Tucson, AZ Member No.: 23 |
Doubtless Aegaeon's imaging sequence on the next orbit has been designed to take account of that moon's orbital uncertainty. Add to that it's a very close, fairly fast flyby, of a moon that has a low albedo, and is tiny even compared to Atlas... Yep, the observation is basically a series of two-frame mosaics. Should help to ensure that Aegaeon is in the FOV. -------------------- &@^^!% Jim! I'm a geologist, not a physicist!
The Gish Bar Times - A Blog all about Jupiter's Moon Io |
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