Thursday, March 22, 2012, 16:00
WHGA/001
G. Filacchione, INAF-IAPS, Rome
Abstract:
Since June 2004, the Cassini mission is exploring the Saturn's system with a suite of 12 scientific instruments. After a short description of the mission scenario and spacecraft characteristics, a summary of the principal results obtained from rings and icy satellites observations is given. Cassini in fact has unveiled with unprecedented details the morphology, geology, composition and dynamical processes occurring on these bodies.
In particular we discuss the structure of Saturn's rings, its wide variety of icy moons, both regular and minor, the icy plumes erupting from the Enceladus south pole active region, the two-faced Iapetus, the sponge-like Hyperion to finish with the hydrocarbon lakes and dunes seen on the foggy Titan.