Transcript for Target 3 Video
Hello. I'm Kelly from Cassini Science Planning.
I think the best target is number 3, the icy moon Enceladus.
Enceladus is a small moon that's about as wide as the state of Arizona. It is covered in water ice and reflects almost 100 percent of the sunlight that strikes it. As a result, Enceladus is one of the brightest objects in our solar system.
This moon was first discovered in 1789. However, study of this moon didn't get really interesting until 2005, when the Cassini Science Teams made a series of dramatic discoveries.
During the first close Enceladus fly-by in February 2005, Cassini discovered that this moon actually has an atmosphere.
The second fly-by then revealed that the south pole of this moon is much warmer than expected and that tiny ice particles are also being released from this area. The faster moving particles are able to escape Enceladus' gravitational field and feed Saturn's E-Ring.
The third close fly-by occurred in November 2005 and produced the first images of jets of icy material erupting from Enceladus' South Pole. Recent findings indicate that these geyser-like plumes are coming from large dark cracks referred to as "tiger stripes" for their resemblance to a tiger's distinctive marks.
The exact reason for these eruptions is still a topic of debate, but most studies agree that Enceladus probably has a liquid ocean lying deep beneath its icy surface.
Every new discovery from this remarkable moon also raises new mysteries. As a result, the Cassini scientists have decided to embark on a new series of close fly-bys starting in March 2008. If you choose to target Enceladus, your image will contribute to this effort due to its clear view of the South Pole.
I'd say choose target number 3 and help the Cassini scientists continue their study of the plumes of Enceladus.
+ Back to Target 3
