Introduction

Color-Enhanced Rings

Wrapped by hundreds of majestic rings, Saturn is the most beautiful planet in our solar system. Saturn also boasts dozens of moons, a swirling atmosphere and a huge magnetosphere. The imposing rings brought fame to this fascinating planet, and puzzled observers for centuries.

The Hubble Space Telescope and three spacecraft that ventured near the Saturn system gathered stunning images and data that gave us clues about the planet's features. These spacecraft however, were only able to spend a few weeks collecting detailed data on Saturn and its 34 known moons - not enough to fully understand the forces at work in those intriguing rings. For all its fame, the ringed planet remains a rather mysterious entity and many of the compelling questions about such a complex system are yet to be fully answered.

The Saturn System

Some answers and, no doubt, new questions will arise in July 2004 when the first spacecraft specifically designed to explore Saturn and its vicinity will reach its destination after a seven-year journey. Led by NASA and the European Space Agency, the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn is an international enterprise that will conduct a four-year study of this fascinating planet. Hundreds of scientists from 16 countries will evaluate the results. Theories will be cross-examined and new ones might explain some of the mysteries.

The Cassini-Huygens mission will not only cater to professional astronomers and the science community, but also to the public. An array of activities will complement every major step of the journey, bringing the public closer to this exciting area of the solar system. Educators are being trained to teach students the most up-to-date news about the mission. Images and videos will be accessible on the Internet as they become available throughout the mission.