Search Publications

Measurement and implications of Saturn's gravity field and ring mass

Iess, L.; Tortora, P.; Zannoni, M. +10 more

The interior structure of Saturn, the depth of its winds, and the mass and age of its rings constrain its formation and evolution. In the final phase of the Cassini mission, the spacecraft dived between the planet and its innermost ring, at altitudes of 2600 to 3900 kilometers above the cloud tops. During six of these crossings, a radio link with …

Close Cassini flybys of Saturn's ring moons Pan, Daphnis, Atlas, Pandora, and Epimetheus

Brown, R. H.; Baines, K. H.; Buratti, B. J. +35 more

Saturn's main ring system is associated with a set of small moons that either are embedded within it or interact with the rings to alter their shape and composition. Five close flybys of the moons Pan, Daphnis, Atlas, Pandora, and Epimetheus were performed between December 2016 and April 2017 during the ring-grazing orbits of the Cassini mission. …

Close-range remote sensing of Saturn's rings during Cassini's ring-grazing orbits and Grand Finale

Nicholson, Philip D.; Hedman, Matthew M.; Sotin, Christophe +22 more

Saturn's rings are an accessible exemplar of an astrophysical disk, tracing the Saturn system's dynamical processes and history. We present close-range remote-sensing observations of the main rings from the Cassini spacecraft. We find detailed sculpting of the rings by embedded masses, and banded texture belts throughout the rings. Saturn-orbiting…