Cassini's Last Pass

     Saturn's cloud tops and polar storm in Infrared (credit: Cassini, JPL/NASA)

The Cassini space probe ran its 'last laps' orbiting Saturn by diving between the planet's rings and over the swirling cloud tops. The space probe made 22 dips between the rings in a 'grand finale' of its voyage of exploration at the gas giant. JPL, which managed Cassini, released a video of the first crossing along with stunning photography, some captured by using infrared (IR) wavelength scans.

The images showed Saturn to be as colorful and wild as any impressionist painting by the French artist Claude Monet. The last pass produced more amazing views before Cassini plunged into Saturn's atmosphere, finished its super-successful mission, and became part of the planet. WHB

                       Saturn's swirling clouds in infrared (credit: Cassini, JPL/NASA)

A Polar Desert Island National Marine Sanctuaries