REAL LIFE NEWS: CASSINI’S LAST DIVE
by Hazed
The Cassini probe, which has been buzzing around Saturn and its moons for thirteen years, is no more. It finished its spectacular mission by diving into the giant gas planet’s atmosphere.
Its mission had to end because it had run out of fuel. NASA decided that rather than just let it drift uncontrollably it should send one last burst of data on Saturn’s atmosphere back before dying.
As it plunged downwards it was moving at over 120,000 km/h. It could only have lasted about 45 seconds before being broken apart.
Click the link below for a reminder of some of the discoveries made by Cassini during its mission, and to look at the spectacular images it sent back to Earth.
Talk about going down in a blaze of glory!
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-41207827
