New Delhi: NASA's Cassini mission has unraveled some stunning facts about Saturn and its famous rings during its journey to the ringed planet.
The space probe, currently undergoing the final phase of its mission, known as the Grand Finale, has made some startling observations of the planet as it makes its unprecedented series of weekly dives between Saturn and its rings.
Based on data collected by Cassini's magnetometer instrument, Saturn's magnetic field has no discernible 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, says NASA.
Scientists say the magnetic field of Saturn appears to be surprisingly well-aligned with the planet's rotation axis. The tilt is much smaller than 0.06 degrees - which is the lower limit the spacecraft's magnetometer data placed on the value prior to the start of the Grand Finale. Read more...
The space probe, currently undergoing the final phase of its mission, known as the Grand Finale, has made some startling observations of the planet as it makes its unprecedented series of weekly dives between Saturn and its rings.
Based on data collected by Cassini's magnetometer instrument, Saturn's magnetic field has no discernible 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, says NASA.
Scientists say the magnetic field of Saturn appears to be surprisingly well-aligned with the planet's rotation axis. The tilt is much smaller than 0.06 degrees - which is the lower limit the spacecraft's magnetometer data placed on the value prior to the start of the Grand Finale. Read more...