NASA has released the latest images from Cassini spacecraft of Saturn’s moon Dione. The pictures were taken during the mission’s last close approach to the moon from 474 kilometres above the surface.
“I am moved, as I know everyone else is, looking at these exquisite images of Dione’s surface and crescent, and knowing that they are the last we will see of this far-off world for a very long time to come,” said Carolyn Porco, Cassini imaging team lead at the Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colorado. “Right down to the last, Cassini has faithfully delivered another extraordinary set of riches. How lucky we have been.”
You can see raw, unprocessed images from the flyby at http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/flybys/dione20150817/
The main scientific focus of this flyby was gravity science, as scientists look for clues about Dione’s interior structure and processes affecting its surface.
Previous news about the Dione fly-by here and here.
Originally published by Cosmos as Cassini’s farewell fly-by of Saturn’s moon Dione
Bill Condie
Bill Condie is a science journalist based in Adelaide, Australia.
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