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Cassini to Saturn

A spacecraft that Cassini entered orbit around Saturn in the summer of 2004, and has transmitted tens of thousands of images of the planet and its rings and moons. On January 14, 2005, a second part of the mission, the Huygens probe, parachuted to a soft landing on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. Its images showed a landscape carved by flowing liquid. Cassini’s instruments have peered through Titan’s atmospheric haze to discover lakes of liquid methane and ethane, extensive river networks, ice volcanoes, and giant dune systems on Titan’s surface. Cassini is scheduled to continue its reconnaissance of the Saturn system until 2017.

Resources

Saturn's Moons February 19, 2016
Saturn's rings

Saturn February 10, 2016

Ongoing Explorations March 3, 2014

Explorations of Outer Planets July 7, 2008

Radio Programs

Moon and Saturn Painting stripes on a moon March 28, 2019

Moon and Planets Washing away Saturn’s rings March 1, 2019

Moon and Saturn Dusting a distant moon December 8, 2018

Moon and Saturn A giant bubble around a giant planet October 14, 2018

Moon and Saturn Young rings for an old planet September 16, 2018

End of Cassini The final day of a grand tour September 14, 2017

Exploring Saturn Getting to know a giant planet September 13, 2017

Through the Gap A spacecraft begins its final act April 21, 2017

Last Visit A final visit to a big moon April 20, 2017

Moon and Saturn Sweeping past the rings of Saturn February 19, 2017

Big Year A big year ahead in the sky January 1, 2017

Moon and Saturn Looking through the smog July 15, 2016

Calling Cards Calling cards from planet Earth May 26, 2016

More Moon and Planets The beginning of the end April 25, 2016

Last Visit A final visit to an icy moon December 19, 2015

Cassini at Enceladus Hot water on an icy moon October 26, 2015

Cassini at Dione A final look at a two-faced moon August 16, 2015

Moon and Saturn Pinpointing a giant planet May 31, 2015

Moon and Saturn Swimming through a “death star” March 10, 2015

Moon and Saturn Filling up a giant gas station January 14, 2015

Huygens Parachuting through alien skies January 13, 2015

Featured Images

artist's concept of Cassini passing inside Saturn's rings

Inside Job March 1, 2019
Cassini view of Titan lakes, clouds

Cold Moon May 30, 2018
bright spokes in Saturn's rings

Bright Spokes November 20, 2017
Enceladus sets behind Saturn

Saying Goodbye September 15, 2017
Cassini flies between Saturn and its rings

Final Act September 13, 2017
Cassini view of Saturn's moon Tethys against the planet's clouds and rings

Death Star Moon August 2, 2017
The moon Daphnis stirs up Saturn's rings

Making Waves June 12, 2017
Views of Saturn's north polar hexagon in 2013 and 2017.

Changing Seasons May 28, 2017
Saturn's moon Iapetus

Two-Faced Moon May 5, 2017
April 26, 2017, image of Saturn from Cassini

Close Dive April 28, 2017
Cassini view of Earth, Moon, and Saturn's rings

Looking Back April 24, 2017
Artist's concept of Cassini crossing inside Saturn's rings

Through the Gap April 21, 2017
Cassini view of Saturn's north pole

Closer to the Storm December 11, 2016
Canyons and lakes on Saturn's moon Titan

Cold Canyons October 31, 2016
Saturn's glorious rings

Just Plain Rings October 3, 2016
Cassini infrared view of Titan

Through the Smog July 15, 2016
Saturn's giant hexagon

Planetary Geometry May 30, 2016
Cassini views the moon Enceladus passing in front of Saturn

Last Look December 23, 2015
Plumes of ice and water shoot into space from Enceladus, a moon of Saturn

Getting Wet October 27, 2015
Cassini view of north polar region of Enceladus

Headin' North October 15, 2015
Saturn's icy moon Enceladus (background) slides behind Dione

Two-Fer September 18, 2015
August 17, 2015, view of Saturn's moon Dione in front of the giant planet

Last Visit August 18, 2015
Cassini view of a giant storm in Saturn's northern hemisphere

Stormy Skies June 28, 2015
Two views of Saturn's moon Dione from Cassini

Near and Far June 18, 2015
Cassini view of Saturn's family of gings

Family Portrait April 7, 2015
Cassini view of Jupiter from 6 million miles

Turbulent Giant February 6, 2015
The Huygens probe arrives at Titan in 2005

Cold Landing January 14, 2015
Cassini close-up of Saturn's clouds

Impressions of a Planet December 18, 2014
Sunlight glints off a hydrocarbon lake on Titan, the largest moon of Saturn

World of Lakes November 11, 2014
Cassini view of a crescent Titan, largest moon of Saturn

Hazy Skies November 9, 2014
Jupiter's radiation belts

Jovian Shields October 15, 2014
Possible image of a moon being born in Saturn's rings

New Moon Rising? September 27, 2014
View of Saturn's rings from Cassini

Clearing the Gaps August 31, 2014
Cassini spacecraft passes Titan

A Decade at Saturn June 10, 2014
Cassini image of a possible satellite growing in the outer regions of Saturn's r

Giving Birth? April 15, 2014

Saturnian Heat Rays August 21, 2013
Cassini view of the cracked crust of Saturn's moon Dione

Cracked Up August 12, 2013
Cassini monitors Saturn's magnetic field

Radio Story July 16, 2013
Clouds above the south pole of Titan

Titanic Vortex June 19, 2013
Ligeia Mare, one of the largest lakes on Titan, the largest moon of Saturn

Storms Ahead? May 22, 2013
Cassini view of Saturn's north pole

Eye of the Storm May 2, 2013
Cassini views Saturn's magnetic field

Solar Sculptor March 1, 2013
Cassini images of Dione, Rhea

Saturnian Two-Fer December 27, 2012
South polar vortex on Saturn, seen by Cassini

Saturnian Vortex November 11, 2012
Cassini view of Saturn, October 2012

Saturn Looms Large October 18, 2012
A Cassini view of Saturn and its largest moon, Titan

Planetary Duet June 21, 2012
Saturn's moon Titan floats in front of the giant planet

Moon on a String May 11, 2012
Two views of Saturn's outermost ring

Wiggly Ring April 26, 2012
Saturn's battered moon Tethys seen by the Cassini Spacecraft, April 14, 2012

Wrinkly Moon April 17, 2012
Saturn and its rings as seen by Cassini

Subtle Color April 15, 2012
Water geysers from the south pole of Enceladus, a moon of Saturn

Leaking Moon March 26, 2012
Saturn's moons Titan and Dione above Saturn, with Saturn's rings

Saturnian Traffic Jam December 26, 2011
Cassini view of Saturn's moon Enceladus in front of the planet's rings

Saturnian Encounter October 25, 2011
Composite view of a giant storm on Saturn from the Cassini spacecraft

Stormy Skies August 31, 2011
Cassini view of Iapetus, a moon of Saturn

Two-Toned Moon July 7, 2011
Storm clouds swirl through Saturn's atmosphere in an image from Cassini

Artistic Storm March 28, 2011
Enceladus passes in front of Saturn's rings

Saturnian Iceball December 8, 2010
Sun glints off a lake on Saturn's moon Titan

Sparkling Lake November 30, 2010
Cassini image of Saturn's moon Mimas, October 2010

Scarface October 25, 2010
False-color infrared view of Saturn and its aurora

Colorful Aurora September 28, 2010
Cassini snapped views of Saturn's moons Enceladus and Tethys.

Two Moons Rising August 16, 2010

Two Moons Rising August 16, 2010
Two moons of Saturn are shaped like flying saucers, as seen by Cassini.

Flying Saucers! July 29, 2010
The largest lake in the southern hemisphere of Saturn's moon Titan.

Big (Foot) Lake July 27, 2010
Dione, one of the moons of Saturn, passes in front of the larger moon Titan.

Just Passing By June 30, 2010
The Cassini spacecraft snapped this image of Saturn's moon Rhea from a distance

Close Moon June 7, 2010

Golden Beacon March 21, 2010

Peek-A-Boo Moon March 11, 2010

'Leaking' Moon March 1, 2010

Death Star Moon February 17, 2010

Saturn's Hexagon January 5, 2010