NASA reveals stunning 'Farewell to Saturn' mosaic

NASA reveals stunning 'Farewell to Saturn' mosaic



In 13 years studying Saturn and its many moons, the Cassini spacecraft snapped thousands upon thousands of images, bringing these distant worlds closer into view than ever before.



But, one in particular stands out from all the rest.



Two days before its fiery demise in Saturn’s atmosphere, Cassini captured one last mosaic of its subject, using its wide-angle camera to snap a total of 80 images in just two hours.



Now, more than two months later, NASA has released the stunning ‘Farewell to Saturn,’ stitching together 42 of these observations for one final look at the remarkable planet – and, if you look closely, six moons can be seen lurking in the darkness beyond the rings.



The Cassini data will be the subject of study for years to come, as scientists pore through more than a decade of observations.



‘Cassini’s scientific bounty has been truly spectacular – a vast array of new results leading to new insights and surprises, from the tiniest of ring particles to the opening of new landscapes on Titan and Enceladus, to the deep interior of Saturn itself,’ said Robert West, Cassini’s deputy imaging team leader at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.



While there have been numerous tributes to the spacecraft in the weeks after its death dive, the Cassini team says this last mosaic is a ‘fitting farewell.’



Over the span of roughly two hours on September 13, Cassini captured a ‘lingering look’ at Saturn in red, green, and blue images.



The imaging scientists then stitched 42 frames together to create the natural color view.



In the breathtaking last look at Saturn, the planet appears bathed in a crescent of sunlight, seen as Cassini viewed it from roughly 698,000 miles (1.1 million kilometers) away.



Each individual ring can be seen in stunning clarity, and an annotated version of the image reveals there are six moons, barely visible, hiding in the picture as well.



The team carefully planned every aspect of its termination, to expend every last bit of its propellant and crash the spacecraft into Saturn itself – where it would burn up in the atmosphere, and ensure it didn’t accidentally contaminate the ‘pristine’ moons Enceladus and Titan, which have shown potential to support microbial life.



But, for the scientists who have been a part of the entire journey, saying goodbye wasn’t easy.



‘It was all too easy to get used to receiving new images from the Saturn system on a daily basis, seeing new sights, watching things change,’ said Elizabeth Turtle, an imaging team associate at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland.



‘It was hard to say goodbye, but how lucky we were to be able to see it all through Cassini’s eyes.’



Cassini’s observations have revealed unprecedented insight on the Saturn system, uncovering details on the features that have sparked intrigue since Voyager 1 made its closest approach to the planet in 1980 and captured an image that remains remarkable to this day.



And, after 13 years at Saturn and countless discoveries, Cassini’s legacy is set to leave an impact.



‘For 37 years, Voyager 1’s last view of Saturn has been, for me, one of the most evocative images ever taken in the exploration of the solar system,’ said Carolyn Porco, former Voyager imaging team member and Cassini’s imaging team leader at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado.



‘In a similar vein, this “Farewell to Saturn” will forevermore serve as a reminder of the dramatic conclusion to the wondrous time humankind spent in intimate study of our sun’s most iconic planetary system.’