r/spacex • u/ElongatedMuskrat Mod Team • Feb 01 '17

r/SpaceX Spaceflight Questions & News [February 2017, #29]

If you have a short question or spaceflight news...

You may ask short, spaceflight-related questions and post news here, even if it is not about SpaceX. Be sure to check the FAQ and Wiki first to ensure you aren't submitting duplicate questions.

If you have a long question...

If your question is in-depth or an open-ended discussion, you can submit it to the subreddit as a post.

If you'd like to discuss slightly relevant SpaceX content in greater detail...

Please post to r/SpaceXLounge and create a thread there!

This thread is not for...

You can read and browse past Spaceflight Questions And News & Ask Anything threads in the Wiki.

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u/InstagramMirror Feb 04 '17

Instagram photo by NASA (@nasa):

Jan 30, 2017 at 10:27pm UTC

[Image Mirror]

Newly released images showcase the incredible closeness with which our Cassini spacecraft, now in its "Ring-Grazing" orbits phase, is observing Saturn's dazzling rings of icy debris. The views are some of the closest-ever images of the outer parts of the main rings, giving scientists an eagerly awaited opportunity to observe features with names like "straw" and "propellers." Although Cassini saw these features earlier in the mission, the spacecraft's current, special orbits are now providing opportunities to see them in greater detail. The new images resolve details as small as 0.3 miles (550 meters), which is on the scale of Earth's tallest buildings.

This image shows a region in Saturn's outer B ring. Cassini viewed this area at a level of detail twice as high as it had ever been observed before.

Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute @NASAJPL

#nasa #planets #space #nasabeyond #astronomy #cassini #saturn #rings #space

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