|
|
| Sodium salts point to subsurface ocean on Enceladus |
| The Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) on board the Cassini spacecraft has found sodium (Na) in varying concentrations in virtually all of its in-situ measurements of the water ice particles in Saturn's E ring. This has important implications for the icy moon Enceladus as the moon's south polar plumes are considered to be the main source of these E-ring water ice particles. In an article published today in Nature, Frank Postberg and colleagues conclude that the amount and type of sodium-bearing minerals found in the CDA measurements strongly favour the presence of a subsurface liquid water reservoir on Enceladus. |
| Date: 25 Jun 2009 |
|
|
| Titan Fly-by - 22 June 2009 |
| On Monday, 22 June, the Cassini spacecraft returns to Titan for the mission's fifty-eighth targeted encounter with Saturn's largest moon: T-57. The closest approach to Titan occurs at 18:32:35 UTC, at an altitude of 955 kilometres above the moon's surface and at a speed of 6.0 kilometres per second. The latitude at closest approach is 42.2°S and the encounter occurs on orbit number 113. |
| Date: 19 Jun 2009 |
|
|
| Herschel's sneak preview: PACS images of M51 |
| On 14 June 2009, precisely one month after launch, Herschel opened its eyes as the cryocover, the cryostat lid, was commanded to open. The images obtained by the PACS instrument during the remainder of the operational day (14-15 June) are shown below. |
| Date: 19 Jun 2009 |
|
|
| Cluster & Double Star: 1000 publications |
| The Cluster and Double Star missions have reached the milestone of 1000 scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals. After almost nine years in space, the four Cluster spacecraft, which are still in good health, continue to produce new science and cross new regions of space. Last year, 2008, produced the most publications in a single year since launch. |
| Date: 18 Jun 2009 |
|
|
| From SMART-1 to LRO/LCROSS: precursors for lunar exploration |
| On the occasion of the launch of the two NASA missions LRO and LCROSS (due on Thursday 18 June, 21:12 GMT), we have asked some questions to Bernard H. Foing (BHF), ESA project scientist for SMART-1 and Executive director for the International Lunar Exploration Working Group (ILEWG). |
| Date: 17 Jun 2009 |
|
|
| At last! After 10 years a new Soft Gamma Repeater is observed |
| Detailed observations of the first new Soft Gamma Repeater in 10 years strengthen the unified view of the magnetar phenomenon; the INTEGRAL and XMM-Newton target of opportunity programmes played a fundamental role in obtaining these successful observations of SGR 0501+4516. This is reported by Nanda Rea and colleagues in an article in the MNRAS published online on 15 June 2009. |
| Date: 16 Jun 2009 |
|
|
| Dutch astronomy-themed stamps feature ESA missions |
| To commemorate the launch this year of two major ESA astronomical spacecraft, Herschel and Planck, and in recognition of the International Year of Astronomy, Royal TNT Post in the Netherlands has issued a collection of limited edition stamps, entitled 'The Universe - Yours to Discover'. |
| Date: 16 Jun 2009 |
|
|
| SMART-1 latest maps for Kaguya's lunar impact |
| Japan's lunar orbiter Kaguya yesterday concluded its successful scientific mission with a controlled impact on the lunar surface. The impact occurred at 18:25 UT on the Moon's near side, close to the limb, at lunar coordinates ~80.4°E and ~65.5°S. The location and time made the impact visible from Earth's southern hemisphere, and one early result has already been reported from the AAT telescope in Australia. |
| Date: 11 Jun 2009 |
|
|
| Commissioning Hubble - preparing for science observations |
| The fifth and final servicing mission for the Hubble Space Telescope may be over but for the ESA Hubble scientists at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, USA, the end of the servicing mission signalled the start of a period of intense investigation and analysis as the two new, and two repaired, instruments are commissioned and prepared for scientific observations. |
| Date: 09 Jun 2009 |
|
|
| Titan Fly-by - 6 June 2009 |
| On Saturday, 6 June, the Cassini spacecraft returns to Titan for the mission's fifty-seventh targeted encounter with Saturn's largest moon: T-56. The closest approach to Titan occurs at 20:00 UTC, at an altitude of 965 kilometres above the moon's surface and at a speed of 6.0 kilometres per second. The latitude at closest approach is 32.1°S and the encounter occurs on orbit number 112. |
| Date: 04 Jun 2009 |
|
|
