Cassini
Saturn’s Energy is Out of Balance
Earth releases about as much energy out into space as it absorbs, arriving at a thermal equilibrium. This means it…
The Great Red Spot Probably Formed in the Early 1800s
Jupiter's Great Red Spot (GRS) is one of the Solar System's defining features. It's a massive storm that astronomers have…
A Single Grain of Ice Could Hold Evidence of Life on Europa and Enceladus
The Solar System's icy ocean moons are primary targets in our search for life. Missions to Europa and Enceladus will…
What Can We Learn Flying Through the Plumes at Enceladus?
In the next decade, space agencies will expand the search for extraterrestrial life beyond Mars, where all of our astrobiology…
Saturn’s “Death Star Moon” Mimas Probably has an Ocean Too
A recent study published in Nature presents a groundbreaking discovery that Saturn’s moon, Mimas, commonly known as the “Death Star”…
Titan’s “Magic Islands” Could Be Floating Blobs of Organic Solids
When the Cassini spacecraft returned radar scans of the surface of Saturn’s moon Titan, the results were mindblowing. It revealed…
Toxic Gas is Leaking out of Enceladus. It’s also a Building Block of Life.
Enceladus' status as a target in the search for life keeps rising. We've known for years that plumes erupting from…
Dark Matter Could Cause Jupiter’s Night Side to Glow
One of the aspects of our study of the universe that fascinates me is the hunt for dark matter. That…
Fly Slowly Through Enceladus' Plumes to Detect Life
Enceladus is blasting water into space from the jets at its southern pole. This makes it the ideal place to…
In the Shadow of Saturn’s Rings
I can remember it very well, although not actually sure when it was, back around 1995/1996 I think. I was,…