This week, Cassini successfully completed flybys of Saturn's moons Tethys (June 27) and Titan (June 29).
Sunlight scatters through Titan’s atmosphere, illuminating high hazes and bathing the entire moon in a soft glow. Image taken May 12, 2007.
Cassini Completes Tethys and Titan Flybys
This week, Cassini successfully completed flybys of Saturn’s moons Tethys (June 27) and Titan (June 29).
On June 27, Cassini got a close-up look at Tethys’ Ithaca Chasma, a canyon that is four times as long as Earth’s Grand Canyon. Scientists are studying how this canyon formed and whether Tethys was active in the past. Two days later, on June 29, Cassini flew by Titan. The goal was to map Titan’s shape in order to seek clues for the presence of a subsurface ocean, and to probe the atmosphere.
Tethys and Titan at a Glance
Tethys Flyby
June 27, 2007
Altitude
18,945 miles (11,772 km)
Titan Flyby
June 29, 2007
Distance
1200 miles (1932 km)
Speed
13,870 mph (6.2km/sec)
