Pan’s moon in new Cassini probe images

The Cassini probe took a picture on March 7 this year from a distance of about 25,000 kilometersów. These are the first such detailed photographs of this small moon of Saturn. They will give researchers a chance to get a close look at the moon Pan and its original shapes.

Pan’s moon was discovered in 1990. It was spotted by Mark Showalter while analyzing images taken by the Voyager 2 probe. Pan is Saturn’s second most distant moon from the planet.

Pan orbits the Encke gap in Saturn’s A ring and is the reason for its existence. Pan is a small satellite. Its diameter is 30 kilometersów.

Pan’s moon. Photo. NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute

Pan’s moon. Photo. NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute

Pan’s moon. Photo. NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute

The Cassini probe was launched from Earth in 1997. It took seven years to reach Saturn póLater. Since then, the probe has been studying this most distinctive planet in the solar system and its moons. Thanks to her work, we have obtained a lot of interesting information. We learned m.in. o ocean of liquid water under the icy surface of Enceladus – one of the moonóat Saturn, we obtained evidence of the presence on another moon of that planet – Titans – mórz of methane, we also heard of methane rains falling there.

On April 22 of this year, the final stage of the Cassini probe, dubbed the Grand Finale, will begin. The probe will dive into Saturn’s clouds by taking a series of measurementsów and sending the data along with photographs to Earth. On September 15, 2017, the Cassini probe will complete itsój life crashing to the planet’s surface.