Ringing Saturn

AFTER a journey which took seven years and covered 3.5 billion kilometres, the Cassini spacecraft has entered Saturn’s orbit. Sending back stunning images of the famous rings, the craft will spend the next four years studying the planet and its 31 known moons. It is hoped that the collected data will provide clues to how planets are formed. By the end of its mission, Cassini would have circled the planet, the second largest in the Solar System, 76 times.

Of all Saturn’s many moons, Titan is of particular interest. Cassini is carrying a probe, Huygens, which will be sent to the moon early next year. It is believed that the chemical compounds in the moon’s atmosphere are similar to the Earth’s before life began. While nobody knows what Huygens will find, some harbour dreams of discovering oceans and mountains on Titan’s surface – just like this artist’s rendition above.