International Edition Winners 2009: Iran (High School)
International Edition Winners 2009: Iran (High School)
| ||||
| Kasra Mokhtarpour | ||||
| High School | ||||
| Iran | ||||
|
"I choose Tethys and Saturn Rings as the next photographing target of Cassini spacecraft, because I believe this target will bring new information, considering the facts that Saturn itself has been the subject of different missions previously and also photographs of Titan can not show the terrain because of the thick atmosphere. In this context, what is still unknown to us is the other moon of the Saturn, Tethys. Tethys has not been the subject of previous studies, and there are several questions about this magnificent moon of Saturn to be answered. Studying Tethys allows us to more certainly discuss whether the large surface crack is evidence that Tethys had once torn apart and the parts later joined together and formed today’s Tethys. Or if the pressure of the expanding lower ice layers on the upper surface layers or a fatal strike has formed this crack. Besides, photographs of Tethys can be used to study the origin of the deep large vesicle on the surface, to see whether it is caused by an impact with one of the stones of the rings. Also, the ice layers of the surface can make Tethys a target of our search for the evidences of life. Photographing from the Saturn rings makes it possible to more precisely determine what are they made of, and study possible relations between the structure of the rings and the structure of Tethys. And if any connection found between the rings and Tethys, then it is possible to further discuss the formation of the rings and see if a moon like Tethys getting very close to Saturn in the early period of solar system formation could fall apart and its pieces form the Saturn rings, which are made of small and big pieces of stones. It is also possible to study the effects of Tethys gravity field on the rings. Comparing the size of rings and Tethys can be used to find the thickness and width of the rings. Divisions and Gaps between the rings (e.g. Cassini and Encke) can also be the target of studies to investigate the material of the rings and the similarities and differences with the materials o the moons of Saturn. Also this can be followed by the investigation of similarities and differences of the material of the main rings and; why the A ring is the farthest and D ring is the closest to Saturn; and if the material of these rings determines their distance from the planet. I hope Cassini can help finding the answers to these questions with the photos it takes from Tethys and Saturn Rings." |
