The Week in Space

June 7-13, 2010

Radio Rings   In 2005, the Saturn-orbiting Cassini spacecraft sent a series of radio signals through Saturn’s rings toward Earth. Ring particles of different sizes distorted the signals in distinct ways, allowing a high-resolution profile to be created of the distribution of matter within the rings. Italian astronomer Giovanni Cassini, born 385 years ago this week, was the first person to spot a division within Saturn’s rings. In this image, taken by the spacecraft that bears his name, the Cassini Division is the largest single “gap” in the rings, about two-thirds of the way from the innermost ring to the outer edge.  Although it appears to be empty space when seen from Earth, the “gap” quickly resolves into a region filled with an astonishing number of ringlets when viewed from the proper angle by visiting spacecraft.

Image credit: NASA / JPL

Weekly Calendar

June 7-13, 2010

Holidays - Sky Events - Space History

Monday 7

Tuesday 8

Wednesday 9

Venus 5° south of Pollux

1812: Johann Gottfried Galle born

Thursday 10

Mercury 5° south of Moon

1985: Vega 1 deploys lander and balloon on Venus
2003: Mars rover Spirit launched

Friday 11

Saturday 12

New Moon 7:15 AM ET

Sunday 13

1974: National Space Society founded
1983: Pioneer 10 leaves solar system, begins traveling in interstellar space

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