Cassini Measures Tug of Enceladus

Cassini Measures Tug of Enceladus
Artist's concept of Cassini's flyby of Saturn's moon Enceladus. Image credit: NASA/JPL

(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Cassini spacecraft will be gliding low over Saturn's moon Enceladus for a gravity experiment designed to probe the moon's interior composition.

The , which will take Cassini through the water-rich plume flaring out from Enceladus's south polar region, will occur on April 27 Pacific time and April 28 UTC. At closest approach, Cassini will be flying about 100 kilometers (60 miles) above the moon's surface.

Cassini's scientists plan to use the radio science instrument to measure the of Enceladus against the steady radio link to NASA's Deep Space Network on Earth. Detecting any wiggle will help scientists understand what is under the famous "tiger stripe" fractures that spew and organic particles from the south polar region. Is it an ocean, a pond or a great salt lake?

The experiment will also help scientists find out if the sub-surface south polar region resembles a lava lamp. Scientists have hypothesized that a bubble of warmer ice periodically moves up to the crust and repaves it, explaining the quirky heat behavior and intriguing surface features.

Provided by JPL/NASA

Citation: Cassini Measures Tug of Enceladus (2010, April 26) retrieved 29 March 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2010-04-cassini-enceladus.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Explore further

Before Darkness Falls: Cassini to Scan Enceladus on Winter's Cusp

2 shares

Feedback to editors