NASA's Cassini spacecraft begins "ring grazing" orbits around SaturnDecember 1, 2016 - 13:51 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - NASA's Cassini spacecraft is beginning a series of "ring grazing" orbits to study Saturn's rings and moons before it makes a death plunge into the planet's atmosphere next year, ABC News said. Cassini is using the gravitational pull from Saturn's largest moon, Titan, to begin the tilted orbits. Between November 30 and April 22, Cassini will circle over and under the poles of Saturn once every seven days, for a total of 20 times. Engineers have been pumping up Cassini's orbit around Saturn this year to increase its tilt for the mission. NASA scientists are calling this phase of the mission Cassini's ring-grazing orbits because the spacecraft will be skimming past the outer edge of the rings, where instruments will collect particles and gases as it crosses the ring plane, said Linda Spilker, the Cassini project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Cassini's ring-grazing orbits will offer "unprecedented opportunities" to observe the small moons that orbit the planet near the edges of Saturn's rings, including Pandora, Atlas, Pan and Daphnis. The region on the outer edge of Saturn's main rings has been unexplored until now. Photo: NASA Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Your home is in Armenia – Ameriabank offers mortgage loans for the Diaspora To buy real estate, Diasporans can apply to Ameriabank online to buy, renovate or build a home anywhere in Armenia. Armenia-Qatar ties discussed in Doha The Secretary of Armenia’s Security Council met with the Deputy Secretary General of the National Security Council of Qatar. ARARAT special evening dedicated to Aznavour's 100th Anniv. On May 20 ARARAT legendary Armenian brandy, celebrated the centennial of Maestro Charles Aznavour with a special event. Surveying works underway in Armenia’s Kirants Surveying works are underway in the Armenian village of Kirants in the northern Tavush province. |