Cassini Archives

NASA Spacecraft Dives Between Saturn and Its Rings

April 27, 2017 Kay Whatley

By Preston Dyches (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), Dwayne Brown and Laurie Cantillo (NASA HQ) NASA’s Cassini spacecraft is back in contact with Earth after its successful first-ever dive through the narrow gap between the planet Saturn and […]

This illustration shows Cassini above Saturn's northern hemisphere prior to one of its 22 Grand Finale dives. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.

NASA’s Cassini Mission Prepares for “Grand Finale” at Planet Saturn

April 5, 2017 Kay Whatley

By Preston Dyches (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) and Dwayne Brown / Laurie Cantillo (NASA HQ) NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, in orbit around Saturn since 2004, is about to begin the final chapter of its remarkable story. On Wednesday, […]

Arriving at Uranus in 1986, Voyager 2 observed a bluish orb with extremely subtle features. A haze layer hid most of the planet's cloud features from view. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.

Thirty Years Later, Researchers Think Voyager 2 Data Shows More Uranus Moons

October 23, 2016 Kay Whatley

By Tara Roberts (University of Idaho Communications) and Elizabeth Landau (Jet Propulsion Laboratory NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft flew by Uranus 30 years ago, but researchers are still making discoveries from the data it gathered then. […]

Since NASA's Cassini spacecraft arrived at Saturn, the planet's appearance has changed greatly. This view shows Saturn's northern hemisphere in 2016, as that part of the planet nears its northern hemisphere summer solstice in May 2017. Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute.

Cassini Begins Epic Final Year at Saturn

September 16, 2016 Kay Whatley

Released by Preston Dyches, Jet Propulsion Laboratory After more than 12 years studying Saturn, its rings and moons, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has entered the final year of its epic voyage. The conclusion of the historic scientific […]

The Planet Saturn. Source: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute.

Saturn Spacecraft Not Affected by Hypothetical Planet 9

April 11, 2016 Kay Whatley

Released by Preston Dyches, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Contrary to recent reports, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft is not experiencing unexplained deviations in its orbit around Saturn, according to mission managers and orbit determination experts at NASA’s Jet […]

An exciting chapter of space exploration history will come to a close as NASA's Cassini spacecraft makes its final close flyby of Saturn's active, ocean-bearing moon Enceladus. The spacecraft is scheduled to fly past the icy moon at a distance of 3,106 miles (4,999 kilometers) on Dec. 19 at 9:49 a.m. PST (12:49 p.m. EST). Although Cassini will continue to observe Enceladus for the remainder of its mission (through Sept. 2017), its next-closest encounter with the moon will be at a distance more than four times farther away. The focus of the Dec. 19 encounter will be on measuring how much heat is coming through the ice from the moon's interior -- an important consideration for understanding what is driving its surprising geyser activity, which Cassini discovered in 2005. Credit:NASA/JPL-CalTech

Cassini Closes in on Enceladus, One Last Time

December 17, 2015 Kay Whatley

Released by Preston Dyches, Jet Propulsion Laboratory A thrilling chapter in the exploration of the solar system will soon conclude, as NASA’s Saturn-orbiting Cassini spacecraft makes its final close flyby of the ocean-bearing moon Enceladus. Cassini […]

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The Strange-Ness: Eastern Hercules Beetle

July 19, 2015

By Kay Whatley, Editor A few weeks ago, my youngest and I came across a strange sight: a beetle on the school sidewalk which measured more than two inches long. It looked more like an […]

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The Strange-ness: Tiger Finds Friend in Goat

December 3, 2015

While the Bible may say that the leopard will lie down with the goat, at an animal park in Russia it is a tiger that has adopted a goat as a bunk mate. Right around the date […]

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UFO Sightings by US State: August 2020

September 7, 2020

By Kay Whatley, Editor Across the United States each year, thousands of unidentified flying object (UFO) sightings are reported. UFO reports cover close encounters of various types, range from blinking lights in the sky to […]