NASA's spacecraft Cassini continues to deliver amazing images from Saturn. This time, it successfully captures the image of Saturn's solstice
Approaching the end of its mission, Cassini captured images of Solstice in Saturn on May 25 as announced by NASA, as one of Cassini's Solstice Mission, part of its final mission on Saturn. This is one of the rarest moment in Saturn, as it only occurs every 15 Earth years.
Cassini reached the north polar region to view the Solstice in Saturn as one of its primary mission. The spacecraft's extended mission to observe the Solstice in Saturn is named Cassini's Solstice Mission, as its second extended mission. The project scientist of Cassini, Linda Spilker expressed her excitement to see the image of Saturn's north pole as taken by Cassini.
"We have witnessed, up close for the first time, an entire season at Saturn," Spilker said in Pasadena explaining the result of Cassini's Solstice Mission. "The Saturn system undergoes dramatic transitions from winter to summer, and thanks to Cassini, we had a ringside seat."
In this mission to observe Solstice in Saturn, Cassini watched the giant storm erupt and encircle the planet, as reported by Mail Online. The Cassini's Solstice Mission is a seven-year mission, the longest of the entire Cassini's mission for the past 13 years.
Cassini entered the orbit of Saturn since 2004 and began its primary mission to study the ring of Saturn and the planet's moons. This mission lasted four years, followed by the Equinox Mission for two years to observe the sunlight on the edge of the Saturn's rings, showing the dramatic new ring structures. Its last extended mission is Cassini Solstice Mission, which began in 2010.
Cassini's Solstice Mission had begun its final part since last April when it made the first dive in between Saturn and its rings. It will end the mission Sept. 15 by entering the planet's orbit and landed on its surface. Watch the report of the solstice in Saturn, captured by Cassini below:
