Saturn's rings dazzle in a close-up! NASA's Cassini delivers one of its best 'ring-grazing' images of the planet

New Delhi: In all honesty, space and science enthusiasts have probably been waiting for this image ever since NASA's Cassini spacecraft went on its Ring-Grazing orbits mission.

Sure enough, the 'ring-grazing' image – in its literal sense – is finally here! NASA released a a stunning image beamed back by Cassini which shows Saturn's rings in a full close-up.

The incredible closeness with which NASA's Cassini spacecraft is observing Saturn's dazzling rings of icy debris is simply magnificent to witness.

These close-up views are inviting the eager scientists an opportunity to observe features with names like "straw" and "propellers."

Although Cassini saw these features earlier in the mission, the spacecraft’s current, special orbits are now providing opportunities to see them in greater detail. The new images resolve details as small as 0.3 miles (550 meters), which is on the scale of Earth's tallest buildings.

 

Cassini is now about halfway through its penultimate mission phase -- 20 orbits that dive past the outer edge of the main ring system. The ring-grazing orbits began last November, and will continue until late April, when Cassini begins its grand finale. During the 22 finale orbits, Cassini will repeatedly plunge through the gap between the rings and Saturn. The first finale plunge is scheduled for April 26, NASA reported.

The 20-year-old spacecraft has been investigating the ringed planet for 13 years, thereby providing scientists with numerous insights into Saturn's structure and evolution.

Already Cassini has sent back the closest-ever views of small moons Daphnis and Pandora.

As per the American Space Agency, Cassini came a bit closer to the rings during its arrival at Saturn, but the quality of those arrival images (examples: 1, 2, 3) was not as high as in the new views. Those precious few observations only looked out on the backlit side of the rings, and the team chose short exposure times to minimize smearing due to Cassini's fast motion as it vaulted over the ring plane. This resulted in images that were scientifically stunning, but somewhat dark and noisy.

In contrast, the close views Cassini has begun capturing in its ring-grazing orbits (and soon will capture in its Grand Finale phase) are taking in both the backlit and sunlit side of the rings. Instead of just one brief pass lasting a few hours, Cassini is making several dozen passes during these final months.