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Earth & Environment

3 things you should know — November edition

Jesse Rogerson, PhD

Canada Aviation and Space Museum

Meet Renée-Claude Goulet, Jesse Rogerson, and Michelle Campbell Mekarski. They are Ingenium’s science advisors, providing expert scientific advice on key subjects relating to our three museums — the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, and the Canada Science and Technology Museum. In this colourful monthly blog series, Ingenium’s science advisors offer up three quirky nuggets related to their areas of expertise. For the November edition, they took a closer

Five different moons of Saturn in one image

It’s your chance to name a moon of Saturn

Jesse Rogerson, PhD

Canada Aviation and Space Museum

Normally, when a comet, asteroid, or moon is discovered in our Solar System, the discoverer gets to name the object. This time around, scientists are changing things up! In early October, scientists announced the discovery of 20 new moons in orbit around the planet Saturn. The team who found these new Saturnian satellites have created a Twitter contest, whereby anyone from around the world can suggest names for them. Want to try and name a moon of Saturn? Then check out this article.

Saturn's moon Enceladus. Image taken by Cassini

One of Saturn's moons might have tipped over

Jesse Rogerson, PhD

Canada Aviation and Space Museum

Even nearing the end, the Cassini spacecraft is still producing amazing science. This story focuses on Saturn's moon Enceladus; researchers from Cornell University in New York say they have found evidence that the moon has changed its polar axis of spin. This is based on features they've found on the surface of the moon.

Saturn's moon Titan.

Summer Arrives on Titan

Jesse Rogerson, PhD

Canada Aviation and Space Museum

The Cassini spacecraft took this image of the north pole of Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, in the near-infrared. The dark spots near the top of the image are Titan's massive polar lakes of methane. Also visible are white streaks of cloud. The Saturnian system has moved into summer solstice for the northern hemisphere, shedding more light on Titan's north pole.

An artists impression of the Cassini spacecraft above Saturn

Understanding Saturn, its rings, and its moons: The Cassini-Huygens Mission

Jesse Rogerson, PhD

Canada Aviation and Space Museum

The Cassini-Huygens spacecraft is a dual orbiter (Cassini) and lander (Huygens) currently orbiting Saturn. It launched from Cape Canaveral on October 15, 1997, entered orbit around Saturn on the July 1, 2004, and has been studying the Saturnian system ever since. After two mission extensions, and a grand total of almost 13 years orbiting the giant gas planet, Cassini-Huygens’ mission is now coming to a close. The European Space Agency (ESA) built and operated the Huygens lander, which flew with

Three moons of Saturn collected in one image: Atlas, Pan, Daphnis. These moons have large equatorial bulges.

The Walnut-Shaped Moons of Saturn

Jesse Rogerson, PhD

Canada Aviation and Space Museum

The Cassini spacecraft has made some truly remarkable discoveries within the Saturnian system, where it has been orbiting for the last 13 years. One such discovery is of the walnut-shaped moons: Atlas, Daphnis, and Pan. These moons sport a prominent equatorial ridge pattern circumnavigating the moons (Saturn's moon Iapetus also as an equatorial feature, though not as prominent as these). The ridges are due to where the moons are located. They are all located in or very near to the ring system,

An artist impression of the Cassini spacecraft just above the atmosphere of Saturn.

What You Need to Know About the Final 11 Orbits of Cassini

Jesse Rogerson, PhD

Canada Aviation and Space Museum

The Cassini spacecraft has only 11 more orbits left of the ringed planet Saturn before its destruction. On September 15th, 2017, Cassini will make a planned plunge into the clouds of Saturn, which will cause it to break up. The science is packed in for Cassini over these orbits: it will study the rings by imaging and sampling, create a more accurate gravitational map of Saturn, and measure the magnetic field of Saturn. Here take a look at the summary of science in the final phase of the Grand

An artists impression of the Cassini spacecraft crossing the ring plane.

Cassini's first dive, finds "The Big Empty"

Jesse Rogerson, PhD

Canada Aviation and Space Museum

The Cassini spacecraft successfully completed its first dive between the planet Saturn and its rings, something no other craft had done before. Before attempting the dive, scientists weren't sure exactly how much dust/debris would exist in this gap. As a precaution, the orbital scientists oriented Cassini so that its radio antennae pointed in the direction of its trajectory to help protect some of its more sensitive instruments. While performing the dive, mission scientists performed

A close up view of a storm on the surface of Saturn, taken by the Cassini spacecraft.

Cassini Makes its First Dive Between Saturn and its Rings

Jesse Rogerson, PhD

Canada Aviation and Space Museum

NASA's Cassini-Huygens mission has begun its final mission phase, making its first dive between the planet Saturn and its rings. It is the only craft to ever make that plunge. Check out some of the amazing images it took as it went through, including the north pole hexagonal vortex.

A black and white image of a storm on the surface of Saturn, taken in an close approach by Cassini

Cassini Dives Closest to Saturn's Atmosphere Ever

Jesse Rogerson, PhD

Canada Aviation and Space Museum

The NASA/ESA Cassini spacecraft completed its first of 22 dives between the planet Saturn and its ring system; no spacecraft has ever flown that trajectory before. During the pass by the rings, Cassini was out of radio contact. Upon regaining communications, Cassini sent back an image of Saturn, the closest of the planet ever taken. Cassini will continue to dive closer and closer to the atmosphere of Saturn until it ultimately burns up on September 15th, 2017.