From: LARRY KLAES (ljk4_at_msn.com)
Date: Fri Feb 27 2004 - 12:38:26 PST
----- Original Message -----
From: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory<mailto:info_at_jpl.nasa.gov>
To: ljk4_at_msn.com<mailto:ljk4_at_msn.com>
Sent: Friday, February 27, 2004 1:08 PM
Subject: Cassini Captures Stunning View of Saturn
MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE
Carolina Martinez (818) 354-9382
Donald Savage (202) 358-1727
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NEWS RELEASE: 2004-071 February 27, 2004
Cassini Captures Stunning View of Saturn
Four months before its scheduled arrival at Saturn, the
The view from Cassini shows Saturn growing larger and more defined as
"We very much want everyone to enjoy Cassini's tour of this
Cassini was 69.4 million kilometers (43.2 million miles) from Saturn
"I feel like a kid on a road trip at the beginning of our tour," said
explore this ringed world and its many moons. I can hardly wait, but
In the coming months, imaging highlights will include near daily,
Through Cassini, about 260 scientists from 17 countries hope to gain a
Cassini will begin a four-year prime mission in orbit around Saturn
JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena,
For the first image and other weekly images on the Internet each
http://jpl.convio.net/site/R?i=N_k00Z73_-VO-3BCLCXxIg http://jpl.convio.net/site/R?i=myVSUgPi31dO-3BCLCXxIg http://jpl.convio.net/site/R?i=KXM0awNoYihO-3BCLCXxIg For information about Cassini-Huygens on the Internet, visit:
http://jpl.convio.net/site/R?i=2c5Wk4w2xoRO-3BCLCXxIg -end-
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: Fri Feb 27 2004 - 12:53:17 PST
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIF. 91109 TELEPHONE (818) 354-5011
http://jpl.convio.net/site/R?i=AHj2pg_YQQhO-3BCLCXxIg
http://jpl.convio.net/site/R?i=VCJkkT19h35O-3BCLCXxIg
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
NASA Headquarters, Washington
Cassini Imaging Central Laboratory for Operations
Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colo.
Cassini-Huygens spacecraft sent its best color postcard back to Earth
of the ringed world. The spacecraft is expected to send weekly
postcards, as it gets closer to the ringed giant.
the spacecraft nears a July 1, 2004, arrival date. On February 9,
Cassini's narrow angle camera, one of two cameras onboard the
spacecraft, took a series of exposures through different filters,
which were combined to form the color image released today.
magnificent planetary system," said Dr. Carolyn Porco, leader of the
Cassini imaging science team at the Space Science Institute in
Boulder, Colo. "And I can say right now the views out the window will
be stunning."
when the images were taken. The smallest features visible in the image
are approximately 540 kilometers (336 miles) across. Finer details in
the rings and atmosphere than previously seen are beginning to emerge
and will grow in sharpness and clarity over the coming months. The
thickness of the middle B ring of Saturn, and the comparative
translucence of the outer A ring, when seen against the planet, as
well as subtle color differences in the finely-banded Saturn
atmosphere, are more apparent.
Dr. Dennis Matson, project scientist for the Cassini-Huygens mission
to Saturn and its largest moon Titan. "We've been driving this car for
nearly 3.5 billion kilometers (2.2 billion miles) and it's time to get
off and
in the meantime, these weekly color images offer a glimpse of our
final destination."
multi-wavelength imaging of Saturn and its rings; imaging of Titan
beginning in April; Titan movie sequences starting in late May, when
the resolution exceeds that obtainable from Earth; and a flyby of
Saturn's distant moon, Phoebe, in June, at a spacecraft altitude of
2,000 kilometers (1,243 miles).
better understanding of Saturn, its famous rings, its magnetosphere,
Titan, and its other icy moons. "Cassini is probably the most
ambitious exploration mission ever launched and is the fruit of an
active international collaboration," said Dr. Andre Brahic, imaging
team member and professor at Université Paris 7-Denis Diderot, France.
"It should be the prelude of our future, the exploration of our
surroundings by humanity."
when it arrives July 1. It will release its piggybacked Huygens probe
about six months later for descent through Titan's thick atmosphere.
The probe could impact in what may be a liquid methane ocean.
manages the mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington.
The Space Science Institute is a non-profit organization of scientists
and educators engaged in research in astrophysics, planetary science,
Earth sciences, and in integrating research with education and public
outreach. Cassini-Huygens is a cooperative mission of NASA, the
European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency.
Friday, visit: