August 15, 2008
1 min read
Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAmCassini Spots Source of Enceladus's Icy Jets
NASA's Cassini spacecraft this week identified the source of geyserlike jets of ice erupting from Saturn's moon Enceladus .
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
NASA's Cassini spacecraft this week identified the source of geyserlike jets of ice erupting from Saturn's moon Enceladus. Photos captured during a flyby showed icy chunks tens of yards (meters) in size around surface cracks dubbed "tiger stripes" for their dark, streaky appearance against the white backdrop of the moon's frozen surface (shown here in false color). These V-shaped fissures plunge up to 1,000 feet (300 meters) deep, perhaps making contact with a liquid water ocean that researchers believe lies beneath the ice. To get these pics—the most detailed yet of the moon's ice-spewing southern hemisphere—researchers placed their bets on a technique they called "skeet shooting": pointing Cassini's camera ahead of Enceladus and then rapidly rotating the craft as it zipped past the moon at 40,000 miles (64,000 kilometers) per hour to prolong the exposure time. "Calculate and cross your fingers" just didn't have the same ring to it.
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.
