[Pyro7480]

I can't wait to see the pics as Cassini goes through the rings!

[Pyro7480]

Ping

[martin_fierro]

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[Question_Assumptions]

I thought that the Voyager probes showed that the "gap" in the rings isn't really a "gap" but has quite a bit of material in it.

[Textide]

Rings of Saturn

                         Radius   Radius/        Optical       Albedo     Thickness    Surf. Density   Eccentricity     
                          (km)     Eq. radius     Depth                      (m)         (g/cm2)
   Saturn Equator        60,268      1.000                                                                  
   D inner edge          66,900      1.110                                                
   D outer edge          74,510      1.236                                          
   C inner edge          74,658      1.239     0.05 - 0.10   0.12 - 0.30      5           1.4 - 5                                                  
   Titan ringlet         77,871      1.292                                                   17          0.00026                                                        
   Maxwell gap/ringlet   87,491      1.452                                                   17          0.00034                                 
   C outer edge          92,000      1.527         0.12          0.2          5             2 - 7
   B inner edge          92,000      1.527      0.4 - 2.5     0.4 - 0.6     5 - 10         20 - 100                                                                
   B outer edge         117,580      1.951         1.8                                                
   Cassini division                            0.05 - 0.15    0.2 - 0.4      20            18 - 20                                                                
   A inner edge         122,170      2.027      0.4 - 1.0     0.4 - 0.6    10 - 30         30 - 40                                                        
   Encke gap            133,589      2.216                                                          
   Keeler gap           136,530      2.265   
   A outer edge         136,775      2.269         0.6        0.4 - 0.6    10 - 30         20 - 30                                                       
   F ring center        140,180      2.326         0.1           0.6                                     0.0026                                                         
   G inner edge         170,000      2.82       1.0 x 10-6                    105                                                 
   G outer edge         175,000      2.90
   E inner edge         181,000      3          1.5 x 10-5                    107                                                
   E outer edge         483,000      8                                        107      

Rings, ringlets and gaps radially thinner than 1000 km are listed by center radius. 

Can't wait for the ring transition either!

[RightWhale]

The engine will burn up, allowing Saturn to pull the two-part craft, about the height of a two-story building, into orbit.

The engine will burn up?

[RightWingAtheist]

They should name the craft's lens Spinoza :)

[bmwcyle]

[ClearCase_guy]

And there's a 7-year-old trasnmitter in the back saying:

"Are we there yet?"
"Are we there yet?"
"Are we there yet?"
"Are we there yet?"
"Are we there yet?"
"Are we there yet?"
"Are we there yet?"

[kidd]

...The X indicates the point where Cassini will pierce the ring plane on June 30, 2004, going from south to north of the ring plane, 33 minutes before the main engine fires to begin orbital insertion. The indicated point is between the narrow F-ring on the left and Saturn's tenuous G-ring which is too faint to be seen in this exposure....

[StriperSniper]

BTTT

[alnitak]

NASA has a 67 page PDF press pack with some good info:

http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/press-kits/cassini-arrival.pdf

[longshadow]

ringed ping

[oldcomputerguy]

Cassini will approach the planet from the south

From the south?? Where is south in outer space???

[DoctorMichael]

Can't wait!

Saturn Bump.

[Brett66]

Looking forward to this. BTTT

[qam1]

4 p.m. London time on July 1,

Saturn is in Gemeni right now so wouldn't that mean on/by July 1st it's going to be behind the sun? So how are they going to get a transmittion?

[<1/1,000,000th%]

On June 11 it will fly within 1300 miles of Phoebe. This will be very exciting.