1 00:00:00,690 --> 00:00:41,320 you 2 00:00:47,420 --> 00:00:44,660 hi everyone welcome to our Google+ 3 00:00:49,160 --> 00:00:47,430 hangout on air we're going to be talking 4 00:00:50,930 --> 00:00:49,170 to you today about the weird and 5 00:00:53,090 --> 00:00:50,940 wonderful things that NASA's Cassini 6 00:00:56,660 --> 00:00:53,100 spacecraft has been sending back about 7 00:00:58,760 --> 00:00:56,670 Saturn i'm your moderator Jerry cook I'm 8 00:01:00,770 --> 00:00:58,770 the Cassini meteor rep based here at 9 00:01:03,590 --> 00:01:00,780 NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 10 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:03,600 Pasadena California JPL is where 11 00:01:08,420 --> 00:01:06,210 Cassini's mission is managed but we have 12 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:08,430 some great speakers for you today from 13 00:01:13,670 --> 00:01:11,250 across the country so our hangout today 14 00:01:15,650 --> 00:01:13,680 is provocatively titled weird and 15 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:15,660 wonderful Saturn but we'll have some 16 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:17,490 scientists here to tell you why some of 17 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:18,810 the things that might seem weird on the 18 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:20,570 surface aren't actually all that weird 19 00:01:26,170 --> 00:01:23,250 so our hangout is going to happen in 20 00:01:29,510 --> 00:01:26,180 three acts our first act is going to be 21 00:01:31,999 --> 00:01:29,520 brought to you by kunio saya na jie he's 22 00:01:34,580 --> 00:01:32,009 a Cassini imaging team associate based 23 00:01:35,870 --> 00:01:34,590 at Hampton University in Virginia he is 24 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:35,880 going to be telling you about this 25 00:01:40,820 --> 00:01:38,690 really unique six-sided jet stream 26 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:40,830 around the North Pole of Saturn that we 27 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:44,130 call the hexagon we've actually just 28 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:46,410 released some new images and video of 29 00:01:52,279 --> 00:01:48,570 the hexagon which you can see on our 30 00:01:57,469 --> 00:01:52,289 websites at nasa.gov slash Cassini and 31 00:01:59,809 --> 00:01:57,479 Saturn JPL nasa gov he's going to be 32 00:02:02,359 --> 00:01:59,819 showing you our new views of the hexagon 33 00:02:06,529 --> 00:02:02,369 and telling you a little bit about you 34 00:02:09,469 --> 00:02:06,539 know how it works our second act is 35 00:02:12,110 --> 00:02:09,479 going to be Carolyn Porco she's our 36 00:02:14,050 --> 00:02:12,120 imaging team lead she's based at the 37 00:02:16,250 --> 00:02:14,060 Space Science Institute in Colorado 38 00:02:19,210 --> 00:02:16,260 she's going to be talking about this 39 00:02:21,740 --> 00:02:19,220 really gorgeous multi image mosaic that 40 00:02:24,740 --> 00:02:21,750 Cassini has been able to put together of 41 00:02:28,970 --> 00:02:24,750 the Saturn system it shows Saturn its 42 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:28,980 rings a lot of moons and then also our 43 00:02:32,660 --> 00:02:31,530 inner planets of our solar system she's 44 00:02:34,730 --> 00:02:32,670 going to give you a tour through the 45 00:02:37,220 --> 00:02:34,740 image and then tell you how it came to 46 00:02:41,780 --> 00:02:37,230 be our third act is going to involve 47 00:02:44,300 --> 00:02:41,790 Linda Spilker and Earl mais linda is our 48 00:02:46,340 --> 00:02:44,310 Cassini project scientist and Earl is 49 00:02:49,910 --> 00:02:46,350 our Cassini program manager and they are 50 00:02:52,220 --> 00:02:49,920 based here at JPL as well Cassini Linda 51 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:52,230 is going to tell you what's up what's 52 00:02:55,850 --> 00:02:53,490 coming up next for 53 00:02:57,170 --> 00:02:55,860 cassini science all the exciting things 54 00:02:59,000 --> 00:02:57,180 that we're going to do in the next 55 00:03:01,340 --> 00:02:59,010 couple years and then Earl is going to 56 00:03:03,230 --> 00:03:01,350 tell you how does our spacecraft do all 57 00:03:06,050 --> 00:03:03,240 the acrobatics it needs to do in order 58 00:03:10,370 --> 00:03:06,060 to get that great science so we're going 59 00:03:12,770 --> 00:03:10,380 to start off with cuneo hi so I will be 60 00:03:14,810 --> 00:03:12,780 talking about the I will be talking 61 00:03:19,310 --> 00:03:14,820 about the images we are releasing today 62 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:19,320 on Saturn's hexagons and that so we are 63 00:03:23,660 --> 00:03:21,810 imaging we are looking at Saturn from 64 00:03:25,940 --> 00:03:23,670 Cassini spacecraft in vantage point 65 00:03:28,550 --> 00:03:25,950 which is an orbit around Saturn since 66 00:03:30,410 --> 00:03:28,560 2004 so I have been studying this 67 00:03:32,900 --> 00:03:30,420 feature called the hexagon around North 68 00:03:35,150 --> 00:03:32,910 Pole of Saturn and the feature is not 69 00:03:39,550 --> 00:03:35,160 new just to be sure we've known that it 70 00:03:43,010 --> 00:03:39,560 existed since i'm at least since 81 and 71 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:43,020 um we confirmed that as soon as Cassini 72 00:03:48,590 --> 00:03:45,570 went into orbit around Saturn it is 73 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:48,600 thought it was still active in 2004 I 74 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:50,490 think we're still waiting for the image 75 00:03:56,150 --> 00:03:53,850 so we are in orbit around Saturn the 76 00:03:58,580 --> 00:03:56,160 images we're releasing today let's see 77 00:04:01,430 --> 00:03:58,590 the emails just that just showed up is 78 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:01,440 how Saturn's North Polar area looks like 79 00:04:07,910 --> 00:04:05,250 from orbit of Saturn so straight in the 80 00:04:09,830 --> 00:04:07,920 middle is um North Pole of Saturn but 81 00:04:14,060 --> 00:04:09,840 darker spot and then you can see the 82 00:04:17,090 --> 00:04:14,070 clear geometric hexagon geometric shape 83 00:04:18,590 --> 00:04:17,100 um which has six sides and corners 84 00:04:23,870 --> 00:04:18,600 that's why we've been calling it the 85 00:04:28,430 --> 00:04:23,880 hexagon so this is the view we have from 86 00:04:29,870 --> 00:04:28,440 from the order and let's see so what's 87 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:29,880 new about what we were going to talk 88 00:04:35,510 --> 00:04:32,970 about today is the view we have Saturn 89 00:04:37,700 --> 00:04:35,520 was in on Saturn's North Pole was in 90 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:37,710 winter darkness for me or when we 91 00:04:42,500 --> 00:04:40,410 entered orbit around Saturn in 2004 and 92 00:04:44,300 --> 00:04:42,510 sunlight has been slowly starting to 93 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:44,310 shine on North Pole during the earlier 94 00:04:49,820 --> 00:04:46,770 part of mr. on and then that that brings 95 00:04:53,690 --> 00:04:49,830 us to the next image that we be released 96 00:04:57,500 --> 00:04:53,700 in 2009 so this is the rehab we had in 97 00:04:59,600 --> 00:04:57,510 2008 and released in 2009 so we still 98 00:05:02,290 --> 00:04:59,610 had a hole around North Pole this is the 99 00:05:05,210 --> 00:05:02,300 best image we had previously today 100 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:05,220 before today so you can still see the 101 00:05:07,340 --> 00:05:07,050 hexagonal pattern you can see the wavy 102 00:05:11,390 --> 00:05:07,350 pattern 103 00:05:13,340 --> 00:05:11,400 really radiating off the corners so this 104 00:05:16,580 --> 00:05:13,350 is what we started seeing around two 105 00:05:21,350 --> 00:05:16,590 thousand eight and then let's move on to 106 00:05:24,530 --> 00:05:21,360 the view we have today Cassini has been 107 00:05:26,840 --> 00:05:24,540 in orbit around Saturn since 2004 and we 108 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:26,850 change orbit once in a while so that we 109 00:05:31,460 --> 00:05:28,410 can have a better view of different 110 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:31,470 parts of the planet so um Saturn when 111 00:05:36,470 --> 00:05:33,930 Tyrion equinox earlier a few years ago 112 00:05:38,270 --> 00:05:36,480 and we just changed settings I'm sorry 113 00:05:40,730 --> 00:05:38,280 continues orbit so that we can have 114 00:05:42,770 --> 00:05:40,740 better views of North Pole so that we 115 00:05:45,170 --> 00:05:42,780 can have movies like this so this is a 116 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:45,180 this is a view we had about a year ago 117 00:05:50,990 --> 00:05:48,330 and then it takes us a bit of time to 118 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:51,000 put together a makeup map we have the 119 00:05:54,470 --> 00:05:52,890 stitch together in terms of images they 120 00:05:57,800 --> 00:05:54,480 put together in found this movie and 121 00:05:59,420 --> 00:05:57,810 this w we have today in the middle you 122 00:06:01,610 --> 00:05:59,430 can see that counterclockwise is 123 00:06:04,580 --> 00:06:01,620 spinning fast for texts we have been 124 00:06:09,530 --> 00:06:04,590 calling it bipolar her game and then you 125 00:06:11,420 --> 00:06:09,540 see around the around five o'clock spot 126 00:06:14,090 --> 00:06:11,430 you can see a counterclockwise side 127 00:06:16,250 --> 00:06:14,100 clockwise spinning vortex that's it that 128 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:16,260 is another vortex and then you see of 129 00:06:21,860 --> 00:06:18,570 course the hexagonal pattern and outline 130 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:21,870 so I hope you can see the clouds zipping 131 00:06:27,530 --> 00:06:24,930 through the hexagonal outline um this 132 00:06:31,580 --> 00:06:27,540 shows that the hexagon is actually a 133 00:06:37,370 --> 00:06:31,590 feature geometric pattern 11 by the jet 134 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:37,380 stream at that latitude so the jet 135 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:39,450 stream has a lot of effect on the club 136 00:06:44,780 --> 00:06:42,450 dynamics and we can in one another of 137 00:06:47,210 --> 00:06:44,790 the V we are releasing today we can 138 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:47,220 actually tell the UM a little bit more 139 00:06:53,150 --> 00:06:49,650 about the cloud properties of the clouds 140 00:06:57,170 --> 00:06:53,160 affected by the district which is coming 141 00:06:59,330 --> 00:06:57,180 up now so in this view I hope you can 142 00:07:02,960 --> 00:06:59,340 see the shark color boundary between 143 00:07:05,420 --> 00:07:02,970 blue to darker darker color color and 144 00:07:09,590 --> 00:07:05,430 then green that is the color boundary 145 00:07:12,230 --> 00:07:09,600 formed by the jet stream so um a jet 146 00:07:14,660 --> 00:07:12,240 stream can act as a transport barrier 147 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:14,670 let's see it can prevent materials from 148 00:07:19,580 --> 00:07:17,010 going across the jet stream because it's 149 00:07:21,230 --> 00:07:19,590 just so blowing so fast you can kind of 150 00:07:24,110 --> 00:07:21,240 imagine that it's easy to move 151 00:07:27,020 --> 00:07:24,120 along the stream of the jet but it's 152 00:07:28,430 --> 00:07:27,030 really hard to cross that stream so when 153 00:07:31,100 --> 00:07:28,440 there is a strong jet stream flowing 154 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:31,110 like this it tends to create and create 155 00:07:37,159 --> 00:07:34,410 a wall like this and in this image and 156 00:07:39,770 --> 00:07:37,169 this is a false-color view red color is 157 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:39,780 responding to large particles or large 158 00:07:46,900 --> 00:07:42,930 droplets of clouds and then green 159 00:07:48,950 --> 00:07:46,910 channel is assigned to assign two 160 00:07:51,700 --> 00:07:48,960 similar particles but at higher 161 00:07:55,670 --> 00:07:51,710 altitudes so red is deep big particles 162 00:07:58,219 --> 00:07:55,680 green is high large particles and then 163 00:08:01,700 --> 00:07:58,229 the blue channel is assigned to a 164 00:08:04,339 --> 00:08:01,710 wavelength that is responsive to tiny 165 00:08:07,100 --> 00:08:04,349 aerosols higher up in the atmosphere so 166 00:08:09,140 --> 00:08:07,110 this color composite is showing 167 00:08:11,089 --> 00:08:09,150 properties of clouds that exist in 168 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:11,099 different area and you can clearly see 169 00:08:16,879 --> 00:08:12,770 that there's a sharp boundary and the 170 00:08:19,909 --> 00:08:16,889 composition of or makeup of the clouds 171 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:19,919 that we see across the hexagon so I've 172 00:08:25,279 --> 00:08:22,650 been talking about um I said that this 173 00:08:29,149 --> 00:08:25,289 jet stream has a six-sided pattern it 174 00:08:33,050 --> 00:08:29,159 looks really well particularly picky 175 00:08:35,269 --> 00:08:33,060 look peculiar maybe um and it looks it 176 00:08:37,670 --> 00:08:35,279 is the surprising thing is that it's 177 00:08:41,079 --> 00:08:37,680 really stable it has been there since at 178 00:08:44,510 --> 00:08:41,089 least 1981 um this is a really exciting 179 00:08:46,340 --> 00:08:44,520 thing we can see um it looks you might 180 00:08:48,620 --> 00:08:46,350 sign you might think that it's really 181 00:08:50,510 --> 00:08:48,630 weird but similar thing actually happens 182 00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:50,520 on earth which is the next movie that 183 00:08:58,190 --> 00:08:55,410 we're going to show first has optimal 184 00:09:00,319 --> 00:08:58,200 strike jet streams um this is the this 185 00:09:02,090 --> 00:09:00,329 is the weather system this is the this 186 00:09:05,569 --> 00:09:02,100 is the flow that moves the weather 187 00:09:08,449 --> 00:09:05,579 systems across the North America a 188 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:08,459 continent for example across north north 189 00:09:13,130 --> 00:09:11,250 north america you might notice that we 190 00:09:14,990 --> 00:09:13,140 see weather patterns moving from west to 191 00:09:17,449 --> 00:09:15,000 the east so what skills feels the 192 00:09:19,730 --> 00:09:17,459 weather even those storms before they 193 00:09:22,250 --> 00:09:19,740 reach east coast that is because there's 194 00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:22,260 this jet stream on flowing across high 195 00:09:27,410 --> 00:09:24,930 altitudes around earth so that actually 196 00:09:30,500 --> 00:09:27,420 totally wraps around the planet and you 197 00:09:34,910 --> 00:09:30,510 you can see that this path of this jet 198 00:09:36,620 --> 00:09:34,920 stream is actually meandering and um 199 00:09:39,199 --> 00:09:36,630 the meandering shape is not stable on 200 00:09:41,389 --> 00:09:39,209 earth because on earth that jet stream 201 00:09:43,310 --> 00:09:41,399 has to blow over mountain ranges and it 202 00:09:45,560 --> 00:09:43,320 has to cross the boundary between the 203 00:09:47,660 --> 00:09:45,570 continents and oceans where it is 204 00:09:49,370 --> 00:09:47,670 basically really messy so the 205 00:09:50,810 --> 00:09:49,380 interaction between the hard ground and 206 00:09:53,269 --> 00:09:50,820 the jet stream is going to make an 207 00:09:56,990 --> 00:09:53,279 unstable pattern but of course Saturn is 208 00:09:59,329 --> 00:09:57,000 a gas giant planet that's why Saturn can 209 00:10:02,150 --> 00:09:59,339 maintain that kind of sable sable 210 00:10:03,439 --> 00:10:02,160 geometric shape and then I talked a 211 00:10:05,090 --> 00:10:03,449 little bit about the compositional 212 00:10:07,370 --> 00:10:05,100 boundary that was created by the 213 00:10:09,170 --> 00:10:07,380 district similar thing actually happens 214 00:10:11,930 --> 00:10:09,180 on earth and which is called the 215 00:10:15,050 --> 00:10:11,940 unpacking ozone hole which we are going 216 00:10:18,199 --> 00:10:15,060 to show next here the colors are showing 217 00:10:20,660 --> 00:10:18,209 that blue is a region with less 218 00:10:23,540 --> 00:10:20,670 concentration of ozone and then green 219 00:10:26,210 --> 00:10:23,550 and warmer colors are showing higher 220 00:10:28,639 --> 00:10:26,220 concentration of ozone the outline of 221 00:10:30,829 --> 00:10:28,649 this ozone hole is actually maintained 222 00:10:33,439 --> 00:10:30,839 by another gesturing that's blowing 223 00:10:35,990 --> 00:10:33,449 around Antarctic continent so this is 224 00:10:38,870 --> 00:10:36,000 another example of a wall that was 225 00:10:41,689 --> 00:10:38,880 imposed by a jet stream inside inside 226 00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:41,699 the jet stream the ozone is destroyed 227 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:47,250 depleted by man-made CFCs and the ozone 228 00:10:50,329 --> 00:10:48,810 that was created outside cannot go 229 00:10:53,420 --> 00:10:50,339 inside of the jet stream that's why 230 00:10:56,410 --> 00:10:53,430 there's this whole of ozone that gets 231 00:11:01,340 --> 00:10:56,420 maintained during winter and Antarctica 232 00:11:03,829 --> 00:11:01,350 so um I like to compare the atmospheric 233 00:11:07,370 --> 00:11:03,839 dynamics of other systems of Saturn and 234 00:11:13,180 --> 00:11:07,380 earth because well the goal here is to 235 00:11:16,250 --> 00:11:13,190 understand this thing cold weather so um 236 00:11:19,250 --> 00:11:16,260 I'd like to talk about when i talk about 237 00:11:22,519 --> 00:11:19,260 why study other planets i like to say 238 00:11:24,860 --> 00:11:22,529 well and bring up the topic of 239 00:11:26,540 --> 00:11:24,870 psychology you do not claim to 240 00:11:28,970 --> 00:11:26,550 understand psychology by just talking 241 00:11:32,210 --> 00:11:28,980 about one person not just by studying 242 00:11:34,309 --> 00:11:32,220 one on one person's mind if you want to 243 00:11:36,620 --> 00:11:34,319 understand psychology you studied many 244 00:11:38,420 --> 00:11:36,630 many persons so it's the same thing 245 00:11:40,129 --> 00:11:38,430 about weathering all you want to 246 00:11:42,319 --> 00:11:40,139 understand the weather you don't just 247 00:11:43,970 --> 00:11:42,329 focus on one planet this is our solar 248 00:11:47,079 --> 00:11:43,980 system we have a lot of atmospheres 249 00:11:48,770 --> 00:11:47,089 starting with Venus Earth Mars Jupiter 250 00:11:52,670 --> 00:11:48,780 Saturn 251 00:11:55,340 --> 00:11:52,680 Titan they all had interesting weather 252 00:11:57,170 --> 00:11:55,350 systems so it is really important we 253 00:12:00,290 --> 00:11:57,180 compare all these different weather 254 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:00,300 systems and so that we wider range of 255 00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:03,930 perspective on our example and that's 256 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:07,890 what I have okay great cuneo thanks very 257 00:12:12,230 --> 00:12:10,370 much just for all of you guys out there 258 00:12:13,940 --> 00:12:12,240 participating in our hangout right now 259 00:12:16,670 --> 00:12:13,950 just wanted to let you guys know how you 260 00:12:18,500 --> 00:12:16,680 can ask questions we you can ask 261 00:12:20,780 --> 00:12:18,510 questions on the google hangout page 262 00:12:23,870 --> 00:12:20,790 itself you can ask them in the chat box 263 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:23,880 on ustream you can also ask them on 264 00:12:29,390 --> 00:12:27,450 twitter via hashtag ask Cassini and you 265 00:12:31,100 --> 00:12:29,400 can also do it by email if you want it 266 00:12:37,690 --> 00:12:31,110 the slightly more old-fashioned way 267 00:12:40,190 --> 00:12:37,700 email V McGregor at JPL nasa gov so 268 00:12:42,470 --> 00:12:40,200 we'll be taking those throughout and 269 00:12:44,330 --> 00:12:42,480 we're gonna break up each speaker 270 00:12:48,830 --> 00:12:44,340 session with some questions at the end 271 00:12:50,720 --> 00:12:48,840 so uh well for cuneo let me just ask you 272 00:12:52,730 --> 00:12:50,730 my first question which is how excited 273 00:12:54,080 --> 00:12:52,740 were you to see these images I mean you 274 00:12:56,210 --> 00:12:54,090 know the false color one it's pretty 275 00:12:58,940 --> 00:12:56,220 psychedelic and to see a complete view I 276 00:13:01,550 --> 00:12:58,950 mean how exciting was it to actually see 277 00:13:03,740 --> 00:13:01,560 these things come down I actually 278 00:13:05,690 --> 00:13:03,750 remember the evening I first processed 279 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:05,700 those images those images came down and 280 00:13:10,580 --> 00:13:08,250 then I got to see the images so the 281 00:13:14,780 --> 00:13:10,590 first thing i do when i get these images 282 00:13:16,220 --> 00:13:14,790 is to map crude generic maps so i showed 283 00:13:18,140 --> 00:13:16,230 you the very first image that wasn't 284 00:13:19,580 --> 00:13:18,150 perspective view from Saturn it's 285 00:13:21,350 --> 00:13:19,590 actually really hard to tell where 286 00:13:23,420 --> 00:13:21,360 exactly on the planet those cloud 287 00:13:27,170 --> 00:13:23,430 features are so the first thing I do is 288 00:13:30,290 --> 00:13:27,180 to project it on a known coordinate 289 00:13:32,180 --> 00:13:30,300 system and then when I do that when i do 290 00:13:33,770 --> 00:13:32,190 that i can start tracking things and 291 00:13:37,100 --> 00:13:33,780 then I don't start stitching together 292 00:13:39,290 --> 00:13:37,110 the images so when I first started 293 00:13:41,510 --> 00:13:39,300 getting to the images that cover the 294 00:13:43,130 --> 00:13:41,520 hexagon the images actually didn't show 295 00:13:45,980 --> 00:13:43,140 the Empire hexagon but as I started 296 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:45,990 stitching together the images I the full 297 00:13:50,210 --> 00:13:48,090 view of the hexagon actually in color as 298 00:13:52,010 --> 00:13:50,220 well naming the view that everything I 299 00:13:54,140 --> 00:13:52,020 was actually just going to process just 300 00:13:56,420 --> 00:13:54,150 a very first spring I was pretty tired 301 00:13:59,000 --> 00:13:56,430 that I finished I was about to be done 302 00:14:00,890 --> 00:13:59,010 with the first image about 1am actually 303 00:14:02,630 --> 00:14:00,900 worked late at night and then I was 304 00:14:04,310 --> 00:14:02,640 going to go home but as soon as I sold 305 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:04,320 very first image I just couldn't stop 306 00:14:09,890 --> 00:14:07,410 right i I just processed the rest of it 307 00:14:11,270 --> 00:14:09,900 and and I just stayed up until 5am so 308 00:14:16,070 --> 00:14:11,280 yeah that was a really memorable you 309 00:14:18,890 --> 00:14:16,080 mean oh great so then one question that 310 00:14:21,470 --> 00:14:18,900 came in via email is what's your 311 00:14:23,300 --> 00:14:21,480 favorite image of the mission I mean is 312 00:14:24,950 --> 00:14:23,310 it this hexagon one or have you got some 313 00:14:27,860 --> 00:14:24,960 other ones that you know are dear to 314 00:14:32,030 --> 00:14:27,870 your heart as well well the hexagon is 315 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:32,040 definitely um very memorable let's see 316 00:14:35,450 --> 00:14:33,930 yeah the 2008 year of the hexagon that 317 00:14:38,030 --> 00:14:35,460 was really exciting because that was the 318 00:14:40,010 --> 00:14:38,040 first very first complete view of the 319 00:14:41,930 --> 00:14:40,020 hexagon understand under sunlight and 320 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:41,940 then that was the highest resolution 321 00:14:50,150 --> 00:14:44,850 ever of this of the feature as well 322 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:50,160 let's see um something that comes close 323 00:14:54,500 --> 00:14:52,890 are the some images of the storm that 324 00:14:57,950 --> 00:14:54,510 there was a storm that blew up in 325 00:14:59,840 --> 00:14:57,960 December 2010 and lasted for 200 days it 326 00:15:02,540 --> 00:14:59,850 was a single thunderstorm giant 327 00:15:05,810 --> 00:15:02,550 thunderstorm that kept going for 200 328 00:15:07,970 --> 00:15:05,820 days and we have a lot of good images 329 00:15:10,310 --> 00:15:07,980 from that we got a lot of press press 330 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:10,320 coverage is out of images and many of 331 00:15:15,050 --> 00:15:13,530 those the turbulent wakes showing a lot 332 00:15:19,450 --> 00:15:15,060 of details and the controller dynamics 333 00:15:22,310 --> 00:15:19,460 builder those images are very well um I 334 00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:22,320 I don't think I well those are different 335 00:15:27,770 --> 00:15:25,170 features I really like both hexagon and 336 00:15:30,110 --> 00:15:27,780 the big storm yeah those are the two big 337 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:30,120 things that have happened during Cassini 338 00:15:35,060 --> 00:15:33,690 oh yeah okay well I know it's a little 339 00:15:38,260 --> 00:15:35,070 like choosing among your children and 340 00:15:40,730 --> 00:15:38,270 you can't really have a favorite someone 341 00:15:44,090 --> 00:15:40,740 but someone who is also really familiar 342 00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:44,100 with images and in fact the whole span 343 00:15:47,390 --> 00:15:45,810 of all the images that Cassini has been 344 00:15:49,490 --> 00:15:47,400 sending back for the over nine years 345 00:15:52,580 --> 00:15:49,500 that we've been at Saturn is Carolyn 346 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:52,590 Porco so Carolyn why don't you tell us a 347 00:15:57,500 --> 00:15:54,450 little bit about the big multi image 348 00:16:01,070 --> 00:15:57,510 mosaic that Cassini took on July 19th of 349 00:16:03,620 --> 00:16:01,080 this year okay well I have I think the 350 00:16:07,160 --> 00:16:03,630 best job of everybody here because I get 351 00:16:10,280 --> 00:16:07,170 to tell you about this fabulous and 352 00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:10,290 unusual event that occurred on July 19th 353 00:16:15,230 --> 00:16:12,090 an event we call the day the earth 354 00:16:15,970 --> 00:16:15,240 smiled on which we took the Cassini 355 00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:15,980 cameras 356 00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:17,930 and turn them in the direction of Saturn 357 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:19,370 and the earth and took a big lawyer 358 00:16:26,260 --> 00:16:23,570 musaic like I Regis told you and my 359 00:16:27,730 --> 00:16:26,270 attachment to the idea of taking a 360 00:16:31,630 --> 00:16:27,740 picture of Earth goes all the way back 361 00:16:33,850 --> 00:16:31,640 to Voyager when i worked with Carl Sagan 362 00:16:36,730 --> 00:16:33,860 on what has now become the very famous 363 00:16:40,690 --> 00:16:36,740 pale blue dot that pale blue dot was 364 00:16:42,970 --> 00:16:40,700 actually part of a mosaic of six planets 365 00:16:45,310 --> 00:16:42,980 in the inner solar system and I had had 366 00:16:47,650 --> 00:16:45,320 this idea I just been added to the 367 00:16:49,990 --> 00:16:47,660 Voyager imaging team and I'd had this 368 00:16:53,830 --> 00:16:50,000 idea that it would be fabulous to show 369 00:16:55,560 --> 00:16:53,840 the world what our solar system look 370 00:16:58,960 --> 00:16:55,570 like to the point of view of an alien 371 00:17:01,270 --> 00:16:58,970 making an approach from outside the 372 00:17:05,500 --> 00:17:01,280 solar system and approaching our star 373 00:17:07,270 --> 00:17:05,510 and I had found after came up with this 374 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:07,280 idea that Carl Sagan had come up with 375 00:17:12,610 --> 00:17:10,010 this idea two years before I did and in 376 00:17:14,350 --> 00:17:12,620 fact other people have also had also 377 00:17:17,890 --> 00:17:14,360 come up with this idea so I joined 378 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:17,900 forces with Carl and he and others 379 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:20,450 planned and executed the pale blue dot 380 00:17:25,660 --> 00:17:23,930 image now if you recall the pale blue 381 00:17:27,610 --> 00:17:25,670 dot image and let's bring that up to 382 00:17:31,390 --> 00:17:27,620 show everybody remind them what it 383 00:17:33,550 --> 00:17:31,400 looked like the pale blue dot image was 384 00:17:36,340 --> 00:17:33,560 not a great image you kind of look at it 385 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:36,350 and say what you call that an image it 386 00:17:45,130 --> 00:17:40,970 was just a the dot of Earth no stars 387 00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:45,140 forgot to add in car proposal to the 388 00:17:51,070 --> 00:17:48,650 Voyager project he said the idea was to 389 00:17:54,910 --> 00:17:51,080 take a picture of the earth and i quote 390 00:17:57,220 --> 00:17:54,920 awash in a sea of stars well you look at 391 00:18:00,180 --> 00:17:57,230 the pale blue dot image and you don't 392 00:18:03,100 --> 00:18:00,190 see any stars and you see the earth 393 00:18:05,620 --> 00:18:03,110 sitting on a beam of light that is in 394 00:18:07,420 --> 00:18:05,630 fact scattered in the optics of the of 395 00:18:10,630 --> 00:18:07,430 course none of this really mattered 396 00:18:14,110 --> 00:18:10,640 because was what Carl had to say about 397 00:18:18,100 --> 00:18:14,120 this image and the way you romanced it 398 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:18,110 and turned it into an allegory of the 399 00:18:24,580 --> 00:18:21,530 human condition that made ever since has 400 00:18:28,210 --> 00:18:24,590 made the phrase pale blue dot synonymous 401 00:18:29,470 --> 00:18:28,220 with an inspirational call to protect 402 00:18:33,210 --> 00:18:29,480 the environment and 403 00:18:36,220 --> 00:18:33,220 a call to planetary Brotherhood well 404 00:18:38,980 --> 00:18:36,230 ever since the beginning of my tenure as 405 00:18:41,260 --> 00:18:38,990 the leader of the imaging team on 406 00:18:42,930 --> 00:18:41,270 Cassini I am wanted to do that picture 407 00:18:45,370 --> 00:18:42,940 over again only make it better and 408 00:18:48,030 --> 00:18:45,380 somewhere along the line it occurred to 409 00:18:51,940 --> 00:18:48,040 me wouldn't it be just absolutely 410 00:18:54,730 --> 00:18:51,950 fabulous if we could at the moment that 411 00:18:56,799 --> 00:18:54,740 if we could tell people in advance at 412 00:19:00,220 --> 00:18:56,809 this moment your picture is going to be 413 00:19:04,270 --> 00:19:00,230 taken from the orbit of Saturn a billion 414 00:19:07,419 --> 00:19:04,280 miles away and invite them at that of 415 00:19:13,530 --> 00:19:07,429 the appropriate time to go out look up 416 00:19:16,930 --> 00:19:13,540 and with an acute sense of awareness 417 00:19:19,299 --> 00:19:16,940 contemplate their cosmic whereabouts 418 00:19:22,780 --> 00:19:19,309 think about the utter isolation of the 419 00:19:27,940 --> 00:19:22,790 earth in the neverending blackness of 420 00:19:30,070 --> 00:19:27,950 space Marvel the the beauty and the 421 00:19:33,190 --> 00:19:30,080 rarity of our planet among all the 422 00:19:37,419 --> 00:19:33,200 planets around the Sun appreciate the 423 00:19:41,610 --> 00:19:37,429 lushness in the life on our planet and 424 00:19:45,250 --> 00:19:41,620 marvel at their own existence and also 425 00:19:48,220 --> 00:19:45,260 appreciate and contemplate the magnitude 426 00:19:52,210 --> 00:19:48,230 of the accomplishment the technological 427 00:19:56,350 --> 00:19:52,220 and scientific accomplishment that made 428 00:20:01,780 --> 00:19:56,360 this interplanetary salute between robot 429 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:01,790 and maker possible and and so that's in 430 00:20:07,270 --> 00:20:04,970 fact what happened on july 19th of this 431 00:20:10,090 --> 00:20:07,280 past year the Cassini cameras were 432 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:10,100 turned toward Saturn while it eclipsed 433 00:20:16,570 --> 00:20:13,730 the Sun and it took another pale blue 434 00:20:18,490 --> 00:20:16,580 dot image of the earth and we send out 435 00:20:22,419 --> 00:20:18,500 the word ahead of time get out there 436 00:20:25,390 --> 00:20:22,429 feel the cosmic love a smile and 437 00:20:28,240 --> 00:20:25,400 celebration and to borrow a line Bob 438 00:20:31,539 --> 00:20:28,250 Dylan dance beneath the diamond sky with 439 00:20:33,820 --> 00:20:31,549 one hand waving free and i have to say 440 00:20:36,010 --> 00:20:33,830 we had a lot of help in spreading the 441 00:20:38,710 --> 00:20:36,020 word an organization called astronomers 442 00:20:41,310 --> 00:20:38,720 Without Borders spread the word they 443 00:20:43,180 --> 00:20:41,320 organized events all over the globe and 444 00:20:44,950 --> 00:20:43,190 JPL did its own 445 00:20:46,660 --> 00:20:44,960 wave at Saturn program which I'm sure 446 00:20:52,330 --> 00:20:46,670 you all know about and you're going to 447 00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:52,340 hear about afterwards but the whole 448 00:20:57,070 --> 00:20:54,290 thing about just went off tremendously 449 00:20:59,560 --> 00:20:57,080 well it was joyous people all over the 450 00:21:02,650 --> 00:20:59,570 world got involved and they responded 451 00:21:05,230 --> 00:21:02,660 exactly the way I had hoped we got a lot 452 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:05,240 of comments some of the comments I got 453 00:21:08,770 --> 00:21:06,890 of course we got comments like I hope 454 00:21:12,490 --> 00:21:08,780 you saw me I'm the one wearing the funny 455 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:12,500 hat but by and large we received many 456 00:21:18,190 --> 00:21:15,290 comments I want to read some to you 457 00:21:20,620 --> 00:21:18,200 because they're wonderful someone 458 00:21:22,870 --> 00:21:20,630 Richard from Pennsylvania wrote what a 459 00:21:25,510 --> 00:21:22,880 great way to feel connected to the 460 00:21:28,330 --> 00:21:25,520 universe the planet and every single 461 00:21:30,910 --> 00:21:28,340 person on it we are truly all in this 462 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:30,920 together and tests from somewhere I 463 00:21:35,980 --> 00:21:33,410 don't know where said at the appropriate 464 00:21:39,310 --> 00:21:35,990 time I left the table at a restaurant 465 00:21:41,710 --> 00:21:39,320 and I went to the parking lot i turn my 466 00:21:44,290 --> 00:21:41,720 face to the sky and I spent a few 467 00:21:47,410 --> 00:21:44,300 minutes watching and listening to what 468 00:21:50,020 --> 00:21:47,420 life on Earth was like right there right 469 00:21:52,990 --> 00:21:50,030 at that moment knowing that millions of 470 00:21:55,780 --> 00:21:53,000 miles away a spacecraft was turning its 471 00:21:58,270 --> 00:21:55,790 lands towards our amazing planet and 472 00:22:00,760 --> 00:21:58,280 taking photos what a feeling of 473 00:22:03,520 --> 00:22:00,770 connection and oneness with the miracle 474 00:22:06,460 --> 00:22:03,530 that is life on Earth this experience 475 00:22:09,760 --> 00:22:06,470 was beyond meaningful was transcendent 476 00:22:13,300 --> 00:22:09,770 what a beautiful thing and then finally 477 00:22:16,090 --> 00:22:13,310 from Lake Ontario I had been entranced 478 00:22:18,790 --> 00:22:16,100 by this project ever since I heard about 479 00:22:21,130 --> 00:22:18,800 it and was determined to join in the 480 00:22:24,070 --> 00:22:21,140 celebration I just never knew how 481 00:22:26,650 --> 00:22:24,080 emotional I would feel I stood on the 482 00:22:29,620 --> 00:22:26,660 edge of Lake Ontario and I spun in 483 00:22:32,770 --> 00:22:29,630 circles waving at the sky we may not be 484 00:22:35,890 --> 00:22:32,780 unique we may be transient we may be 485 00:22:38,770 --> 00:22:35,900 only flying along on a decimal but darn 486 00:22:41,650 --> 00:22:38,780 it for 15 minutes we were there we were 487 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:41,660 aware and we smile and so the whole 488 00:22:47,290 --> 00:22:44,330 thing was a great success and here now 489 00:22:50,590 --> 00:22:47,300 is the image that was taken on the day 490 00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:50,600 the earth smile and if you really want 491 00:22:54,820 --> 00:22:53,090 to see the details in this image you you 492 00:22:56,410 --> 00:22:54,830 won't see them in pictures we could show 493 00:22:57,250 --> 00:22:56,420 you on a google hangout you'll have to 494 00:22:59,110 --> 00:22:57,260 go on the web 495 00:23:01,150 --> 00:22:59,120 there are many places as you probably 496 00:23:03,190 --> 00:23:01,160 know they're on the Cyclops website 497 00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:03,200 there on the JPL website they're on the 498 00:23:08,170 --> 00:23:05,090 NASA website and in fact the images on 499 00:23:10,690 --> 00:23:08,180 viral its many places but you can see 500 00:23:13,480 --> 00:23:10,700 center stage you can see the globe of 501 00:23:16,720 --> 00:23:13,490 Saturn it's eclipsing the Sun so the Sun 502 00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:16,730 is behind it the main rings they look 503 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:18,410 like they're glowing the sunlight is 504 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:22,810 actually diffusing through them you see 505 00:23:28,740 --> 00:23:26,210 you see the narrow jeering but the big 506 00:23:32,020 --> 00:23:28,750 blue ring that you see the beautiful one 507 00:23:34,950 --> 00:23:32,030 is most prominent and that ring is 508 00:23:40,030 --> 00:23:34,960 created by a hundred geysers erupting 509 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:40,040 from the South Pole of Enceladus I'll 510 00:23:46,990 --> 00:23:41,810 say more about that in a minute and also 511 00:23:51,720 --> 00:23:47,000 in this picture we captured four planets 512 00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:51,730 we captured not only Saturn Venus and 513 00:23:59,530 --> 00:23:55,730 Mars end of course the earth so I think 514 00:24:02,530 --> 00:23:59,540 that this may be the only picture that's 515 00:24:05,050 --> 00:24:02,540 captured that many planets since the day 516 00:24:08,110 --> 00:24:05,060 of pale blue dot since a day Voyager 517 00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:08,120 which captured six and in the next 518 00:24:14,170 --> 00:24:11,930 picture is a close-up of Enceladus I 519 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:14,180 want to concentrate on Enceladus because 520 00:24:20,140 --> 00:24:17,090 I feel this is our most profound 521 00:24:23,170 --> 00:24:20,150 discovery with Cassini you see the plume 522 00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:23,180 of material issuing forth from the 523 00:24:28,750 --> 00:24:26,690 southern half of the moon that is as I 524 00:24:32,050 --> 00:24:28,760 said it's a material erupting from a 525 00:24:35,110 --> 00:24:32,060 hundred geysers and they come from what 526 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:35,120 we believe is a habitable the habitable 527 00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:37,850 zone within the small moon and because 528 00:24:44,380 --> 00:24:41,410 those geysers are connected to this 529 00:24:46,570 --> 00:24:44,390 reservoir of liquid water suffuse with 530 00:24:50,100 --> 00:24:46,580 organic material inside this moon it 531 00:24:52,900 --> 00:24:50,110 makes Enceladus the most accessible 532 00:24:55,300 --> 00:24:52,910 habitable zone in all the solar system 533 00:24:57,700 --> 00:24:55,310 you can fly through those geysers and 534 00:25:00,130 --> 00:24:57,710 scoop up material and it's not out of 535 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:00,140 the question that it could be snowing 536 00:25:05,830 --> 00:25:02,450 microbes at the South Pole of Enceladus 537 00:25:10,120 --> 00:25:05,840 so this is just one of very many reasons 538 00:25:10,780 --> 00:25:10,130 why we really are desperate to make sure 539 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:10,790 that we 540 00:25:17,740 --> 00:25:13,250 continue through the rest of the Cassini 541 00:25:19,540 --> 00:25:17,750 mission out to 2017 because Enceladus is 542 00:25:22,360 --> 00:25:19,550 one of the prime targets that we wish to 543 00:25:28,810 --> 00:25:22,370 fill them and then of course this 544 00:25:31,030 --> 00:25:28,820 picture you look over the right shoulder 545 00:25:36,010 --> 00:25:31,040 as it were of Saturn beneath the Rings 546 00:25:38,170 --> 00:25:36,020 and you will see our planet Earth right 547 00:25:39,790 --> 00:25:38,180 there that bright dot and again you may 548 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:39,800 not be able to see it on the screen but 549 00:25:46,090 --> 00:25:42,290 if you go on the web you will see that 550 00:25:48,340 --> 00:25:46,100 it is a wash and sea of stars and it is 551 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:48,350 there a billion miles away in this image 552 00:25:54,280 --> 00:25:51,770 freezes in time a unique moment when 553 00:25:56,920 --> 00:25:54,290 people all around the globe at the 554 00:26:00,430 --> 00:25:56,930 instant this picture was taken were 555 00:26:02,320 --> 00:26:00,440 saluting Cassini and thinking about the 556 00:26:04,570 --> 00:26:02,330 magnificence of what we have 557 00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:04,580 accomplished in exploring the solar 558 00:26:11,350 --> 00:26:07,610 system and I have to add that I can't 559 00:26:14,140 --> 00:26:11,360 help but when I look at this image think 560 00:26:16,900 --> 00:26:14,150 that it represents the very very best 561 00:26:21,090 --> 00:26:16,910 that humanity has to offer because we 562 00:26:24,130 --> 00:26:21,100 are no but the small and truth and 563 00:26:27,430 --> 00:26:24,140 warlike inhabitants of one tiny little 564 00:26:30,820 --> 00:26:27,440 dot of a planet but it serves us well to 565 00:26:34,060 --> 00:26:30,830 always remember we are also the seekers 566 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:34,070 and the thinkers and the explorers who 567 00:26:40,510 --> 00:26:37,730 took this picture One World clear across 568 00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:40,520 interplanetary space to it and to be 569 00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:44,690 that small and reach so far is in the 570 00:26:49,660 --> 00:26:47,210 end what makes us the extraordinary 571 00:26:53,050 --> 00:26:49,670 citizens of planet Earth so if you're 572 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:53,060 ever down and out and you're listening 573 00:26:57,910 --> 00:26:55,490 to the news and you're nothing but one 574 00:27:00,220 --> 00:26:57,920 bad thing after another but look at our 575 00:27:02,980 --> 00:27:00,230 Cassini picture of Earth and be reminded 576 00:27:06,580 --> 00:27:02,990 of just exactly how far we have come and 577 00:27:09,070 --> 00:27:06,590 how great we really are thank you all 578 00:27:10,570 --> 00:27:09,080 right thanks Carolyn certainly a lot of 579 00:27:12,880 --> 00:27:10,580 the comments and feedback that we got 580 00:27:14,230 --> 00:27:12,890 from that picture about how looking at 581 00:27:15,700 --> 00:27:14,240 this picture really puts things in 582 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:15,710 perspective and I think you really 583 00:27:23,980 --> 00:27:18,610 nicely encapsulated that so we have a 584 00:27:27,100 --> 00:27:23,990 question here from twitter at q8 fail AK 585 00:27:29,650 --> 00:27:27,110 um the Rings are obviously a big feature 586 00:27:32,140 --> 00:27:29,660 in that new mosaic that we put out and 587 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:32,150 this person wants to know what is the 588 00:27:36,669 --> 00:27:34,850 thickness of the Rings oh well oh 589 00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:36,679 depends which rings you're talking about 590 00:27:42,730 --> 00:27:38,770 but I presume he means the main rings 591 00:27:46,360 --> 00:27:42,740 and they are really very within uh they 592 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:46,370 are no bigger there about 30 feet thick 593 00:27:51,910 --> 00:27:48,290 and that makes them no bigger than about 594 00:27:54,340 --> 00:27:51,920 two stories in a modern-day building 595 00:27:57,130 --> 00:27:54,350 though they're very thin despite the 596 00:27:59,140 --> 00:27:57,140 fact that Saturn's rings are across 597 00:28:01,240 --> 00:27:59,150 there about one light-second they're 598 00:28:04,360 --> 00:28:01,250 only there about 280,000 this is only 599 00:28:07,210 --> 00:28:04,370 the main rings about 280,000 kilometers 600 00:28:08,830 --> 00:28:07,220 across and in fact I'd love to add this 601 00:28:11,650 --> 00:28:08,840 statistic because I think it's marvelous 602 00:28:16,240 --> 00:28:11,660 if you took all the mass and Saturn's 603 00:28:18,250 --> 00:28:16,250 rings and recomposed it into a moon for 604 00:28:19,870 --> 00:28:18,260 of the proper density for the Saturn 605 00:28:22,240 --> 00:28:19,880 system it would be no bigger than 606 00:28:24,570 --> 00:28:22,250 Enceladus which is a moon that's no 607 00:28:27,160 --> 00:28:24,580 bigger across than Great Britain so it's 608 00:28:32,470 --> 00:28:27,170 tremendous visual spectacle for very 609 00:28:35,230 --> 00:28:32,480 little mess ok well we have another 610 00:28:38,140 --> 00:28:35,240 question from cali center grin on 611 00:28:41,410 --> 00:28:38,150 google+ if you are planning the next 612 00:28:43,030 --> 00:28:41,420 mission to Saturn what would your 613 00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:43,040 Cassini two point oh look like what 614 00:28:46,630 --> 00:28:45,410 instruments would it have so maybe you 615 00:28:48,430 --> 00:28:46,640 can tell us a little bit about the 616 00:28:51,280 --> 00:28:48,440 cameras that Cassini has right now and 617 00:28:52,930 --> 00:28:51,290 then you know if you had your wishes uh 618 00:28:56,290 --> 00:28:52,940 what kind of camera would you really 619 00:28:58,750 --> 00:28:56,300 like out there well I will what much on 620 00:29:00,370 --> 00:28:58,760 uh well okay like the cameras let me 621 00:29:02,940 --> 00:29:00,380 describe the Cassini cameras they're the 622 00:29:04,990 --> 00:29:02,950 most sophisticated cameras in fact 623 00:29:06,669 --> 00:29:05,000 Cassini's payload is the most 624 00:29:09,610 --> 00:29:06,679 sophisticated payload that was ever 625 00:29:11,590 --> 00:29:09,620 taken into the outer solar system in our 626 00:29:14,740 --> 00:29:11,600 cameras we have two of them we call them 627 00:29:16,450 --> 00:29:14,750 cameras they're actually telescopes and 628 00:29:20,110 --> 00:29:16,460 outfitted with many spectral filters 629 00:29:22,090 --> 00:29:20,120 that's why cuneo can look at the hexagon 630 00:29:24,040 --> 00:29:22,100 and all sorts of different spectral 631 00:29:27,100 --> 00:29:24,050 filters and they kind of slice the 632 00:29:30,460 --> 00:29:27,110 Saturn atmosphere and give us a shot at 633 00:29:32,830 --> 00:29:30,470 different levels in the atmosphere other 634 00:29:35,770 --> 00:29:32,840 images like the one our mosaic is made 635 00:29:37,870 --> 00:29:35,780 of this are this particular mosaic 636 00:29:41,170 --> 00:29:37,880 where's our red green and blue 637 00:29:44,020 --> 00:29:41,180 can use those to make network you might 638 00:29:47,290 --> 00:29:44,030 call natural color but they also have 639 00:29:49,420 --> 00:29:47,300 scientific purposes you look at surfaces 640 00:29:51,370 --> 00:29:49,430 of moons for example in different colors 641 00:29:56,080 --> 00:29:51,380 you might be able to pick out different 642 00:29:57,430 --> 00:29:56,090 types of Isis and so on so um and then 643 00:29:59,980 --> 00:29:57,440 and then there's many other capabilities 644 00:30:03,070 --> 00:29:59,990 in the cameras I don't have to the time 645 00:30:05,890 --> 00:30:03,080 to go into but i will tell you first you 646 00:30:09,910 --> 00:30:05,900 need to know if you ask this picture at 647 00:30:12,100 --> 00:30:09,920 this question of any planetary scientist 648 00:30:15,610 --> 00:30:12,110 you get a different answer probably from 649 00:30:19,540 --> 00:30:15,620 each one but my favorite thing to do 650 00:30:23,380 --> 00:30:19,550 with a mission that goes back to Saturn 651 00:30:25,750 --> 00:30:23,390 is concentrate on Enceladus because we 652 00:30:28,930 --> 00:30:25,760 need to know did biological processes 653 00:30:32,050 --> 00:30:28,940 ever get started on Enceladus and so if 654 00:30:34,390 --> 00:30:32,060 we equipped a spacecraft returning to 655 00:30:37,690 --> 00:30:34,400 Saturn with an instrument that could 656 00:30:40,090 --> 00:30:37,700 scoop up materials and do a more 657 00:30:42,430 --> 00:30:40,100 sophisticated job of chemical analysis 658 00:30:44,170 --> 00:30:42,440 than Cassini is equipped to do we might 659 00:30:47,380 --> 00:30:44,180 actually be able to answer the question 660 00:30:49,750 --> 00:30:47,390 and we're not a biotic prophecies have 661 00:30:51,700 --> 00:30:49,760 gotten started on Enceladus and then my 662 00:30:54,160 --> 00:30:51,710 other favorite I would combine these 663 00:30:57,340 --> 00:30:54,170 into one mission my other favorite would 664 00:30:59,830 --> 00:30:57,350 be to study Titan because Titan is the 665 00:31:01,900 --> 00:30:59,840 only place in our solar system where we 666 00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:01,910 have liquid organics punted on the 667 00:31:07,090 --> 00:31:03,770 surface and it has a thick atmosphere 668 00:31:09,730 --> 00:31:07,100 and in many regards it is very similar 669 00:31:13,060 --> 00:31:09,740 to our planet except that it has liquid 670 00:31:17,440 --> 00:31:13,070 organic so we could study organic and 671 00:31:19,090 --> 00:31:17,450 sit you if if you please in a way that 672 00:31:21,310 --> 00:31:19,100 we can't do it any longer on the earth 673 00:31:24,070 --> 00:31:21,320 because the earth has oxygen and free 674 00:31:26,740 --> 00:31:24,080 oxygen oxidizes man destroys organic 675 00:31:29,650 --> 00:31:26,750 materials so that's what I do with a 676 00:31:35,260 --> 00:31:29,660 mission after a Cassini and I think we 677 00:31:39,220 --> 00:31:35,270 should start it in 2018 um well that's a 678 00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:39,230 very passionate answer um one question 679 00:31:41,830 --> 00:31:40,490 that we got I'm going to throw it back 680 00:31:44,710 --> 00:31:41,840 to cuneo for a minute because we had a 681 00:31:48,280 --> 00:31:44,720 question come in about the hexagon this 682 00:31:51,310 --> 00:31:48,290 is on Twitter from JP major is there or 683 00:31:55,480 --> 00:31:51,320 why isn't there a similar hexagon around 684 00:31:58,660 --> 00:31:55,490 Saturn South Pole so on the meandering 685 00:32:01,240 --> 00:31:58,670 property of the biz jet so I said that 686 00:32:05,380 --> 00:32:01,250 the hexagons are North Pole of Saturn is 687 00:32:07,240 --> 00:32:05,390 a meandering jet so the meandering 688 00:32:10,840 --> 00:32:07,250 property really depends on the details 689 00:32:14,230 --> 00:32:10,850 of the jet so the the jet around North 690 00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:14,240 Pole has the right speed and what to 691 00:32:21,220 --> 00:32:18,170 have to fit in a way basically it to 692 00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:21,230 fold into six sided shape Saturn South 693 00:32:26,610 --> 00:32:23,690 Pole actually doesn't have a similar jet 694 00:32:29,620 --> 00:32:26,620 stream that's that's wrapping around and 695 00:32:31,480 --> 00:32:29,630 they won't it's well there's a jet but 696 00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:31,490 it's the property is actually very 697 00:32:37,090 --> 00:32:33,850 different from the around North Pole 698 00:32:40,330 --> 00:32:37,100 there's a jet that does me under it 699 00:32:43,030 --> 00:32:40,340 sometimes takes Tom cited for Tom sided 700 00:32:46,510 --> 00:32:43,040 shape it's not very stable but it does 701 00:32:48,640 --> 00:32:46,520 develop a many-sided pattern but it 702 00:32:50,440 --> 00:32:48,650 doesn't look as visually striking but 703 00:32:54,660 --> 00:32:50,450 it's a very similar dynamics that's 704 00:32:58,090 --> 00:32:54,670 happening around South Pole as well and 705 00:33:01,300 --> 00:32:58,100 then of course we had a lot of vortices 706 00:33:03,730 --> 00:33:01,310 and but what we do have around Saturn 707 00:33:06,010 --> 00:33:03,740 styles so 4 is the hurricane like 708 00:33:07,390 --> 00:33:06,020 structure that we do have a North Pole 709 00:33:11,770 --> 00:33:07,400 so there are similarities and 710 00:33:14,440 --> 00:33:11,780 differences also I mean it is a very 711 00:33:16,330 --> 00:33:14,450 special sort of a thing because it 712 00:33:18,910 --> 00:33:16,340 doesn't even appear at the other giant 713 00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:18,920 planets in our solar system does it no 714 00:33:23,380 --> 00:33:21,170 it does not so old giant planets 715 00:33:26,230 --> 00:33:23,390 actually most most planets in general 716 00:33:29,410 --> 00:33:26,240 have a strong vortex around each of 717 00:33:32,200 --> 00:33:29,420 their poles Venus had penises poles have 718 00:33:34,630 --> 00:33:32,210 more disease earth holes have jet 719 00:33:36,930 --> 00:33:34,640 streams or districts that's wrapping 720 00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:36,940 around the pole is basically a vortex 721 00:33:41,980 --> 00:33:38,930 Jupiter we've actually never seen 722 00:33:44,560 --> 00:33:41,990 Jupiter in reflected sunlight and 723 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:44,570 Jupiter's polar regions of Jupiter and 724 00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:46,250 reflected sunlight so that's actually a 725 00:33:53,140 --> 00:33:49,490 lot of exploration we're that's going to 726 00:33:56,230 --> 00:33:53,150 happen soon NASA's Juno spacecraft that 727 00:33:58,630 --> 00:33:56,240 will have a first view or a first 728 00:34:02,230 --> 00:33:58,640 detailed view of the polar regions on 729 00:34:04,690 --> 00:34:02,240 Saturn eye of Jupiter and then you're 730 00:34:07,300 --> 00:34:04,700 listen ftn right we do not have 731 00:34:10,720 --> 00:34:07,310 polyvinyl structures but we they too 732 00:34:13,090 --> 00:34:10,730 have for disease so yeah right the 733 00:34:15,040 --> 00:34:13,100 question was about why no hexagon or 734 00:34:16,720 --> 00:34:15,050 polygon there another planet right we 735 00:34:19,140 --> 00:34:16,730 don't have polygons but all of them do 736 00:34:22,450 --> 00:34:19,150 you have this dream is going around 737 00:34:26,440 --> 00:34:22,460 great thanks Cuneo we're going to make a 738 00:34:28,540 --> 00:34:26,450 transition here and I'm gonna introduce 739 00:34:30,880 --> 00:34:28,550 Linda next she's going to talk about 740 00:34:32,950 --> 00:34:30,890 some of the mysteries that we still have 741 00:34:34,690 --> 00:34:32,960 to solve around Saturn and then after 742 00:34:38,500 --> 00:34:34,700 that Earl will talk about how we're 743 00:34:40,180 --> 00:34:38,510 going to do that Linda well I think if 744 00:34:42,250 --> 00:34:40,190 someone asked me what is your favorite 745 00:34:44,500 --> 00:34:42,260 image I'd have to say that the Saturn 746 00:34:46,600 --> 00:34:44,510 mosaic that just came back is one of my 747 00:34:49,420 --> 00:34:46,610 new very favorite images it's so 748 00:34:51,460 --> 00:34:49,430 beautiful it's almost heart stopping to 749 00:34:53,050 --> 00:34:51,470 look at it and with that in mind let me 750 00:34:55,960 --> 00:34:53,060 go to the first slide let's look at that 751 00:34:57,400 --> 00:34:55,970 image in a very different way and what 752 00:35:01,120 --> 00:34:57,410 you see when it comes up is this is a 753 00:35:03,430 --> 00:35:01,130 collage that includes 1600 images that 754 00:35:06,070 --> 00:35:03,440 were sent by members of the public to us 755 00:35:08,530 --> 00:35:06,080 as part of Cassini's wave at saturn 756 00:35:10,120 --> 00:35:08,540 campaign we asked people to go out in 757 00:35:12,580 --> 00:35:10,130 that 20-minute window when we were 758 00:35:14,830 --> 00:35:12,590 taking pictures of the earth to raise 759 00:35:17,500 --> 00:35:14,840 their hand and wave at Saturn take a 760 00:35:19,540 --> 00:35:17,510 picture of themselves a selfie and send 761 00:35:22,600 --> 00:35:19,550 it to us so those pictures are here in 762 00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:22,610 fact my husband Tom and I also have our 763 00:35:25,510 --> 00:35:23,930 picture in there and it's kind of fun to 764 00:35:28,270 --> 00:35:25,520 try and hunt down and look for your 765 00:35:30,700 --> 00:35:28,280 friends and family in this giant collage 766 00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:30,710 and I just like to say a big thank you 767 00:35:36,460 --> 00:35:33,770 to everyone who participated in the wave 768 00:35:38,530 --> 00:35:36,470 at Saturn smile at Saturn campaigns you 769 00:35:41,800 --> 00:35:38,540 really helped us celebrate this very 770 00:35:43,510 --> 00:35:41,810 phenomenal event and with that like to 771 00:35:45,880 --> 00:35:43,520 move on to some of the mysteries that we 772 00:35:48,580 --> 00:35:45,890 might solve as we continue over the next 773 00:35:52,270 --> 00:35:48,590 few years with Cassini and if we go to 774 00:35:54,970 --> 00:35:52,280 the next image clearly the seasons are 775 00:35:57,370 --> 00:35:54,980 changing at Saturn this is a wide-angle 776 00:36:00,520 --> 00:35:57,380 view of Saturn with Titan crossing in 777 00:36:02,920 --> 00:36:00,530 front of it basically you can see sort 778 00:36:05,140 --> 00:36:02,930 of a bluish tint or hue if you go back 779 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:05,150 ten years to when Cassini first arrived 780 00:36:11,110 --> 00:36:07,970 at Saturn the northern hemisphere was in 781 00:36:13,230 --> 00:36:11,120 winter and it had a bluish tint and now 782 00:36:15,370 --> 00:36:13,240 we see that that tint is slowly 783 00:36:17,560 --> 00:36:15,380 lightning in the northern hemisphere and 784 00:36:18,620 --> 00:36:17,570 is moving to the southern hemisphere the 785 00:36:20,749 --> 00:36:18,630 colors are 786 00:36:23,839 --> 00:36:20,759 cursing as we're approaching winter in 787 00:36:25,940 --> 00:36:23,849 the southern hemisphere of Saturn in 788 00:36:28,999 --> 00:36:25,950 fact this is a unique opportunity to 789 00:36:32,359 --> 00:36:29,009 look at Saturn and were so close to 790 00:36:35,299 --> 00:36:32,369 solstice just a few years away from that 791 00:36:38,029 --> 00:36:35,309 summer solstice and no spacecraft has 792 00:36:39,620 --> 00:36:38,039 been this close to Saturn anywhere near 793 00:36:42,710 --> 00:36:39,630 the summer solstice so it offers a 794 00:36:45,410 --> 00:36:42,720 unique opportunity to study Saturn and 795 00:36:47,839 --> 00:36:45,420 tighten and the moons in this new season 796 00:36:50,180 --> 00:36:47,849 in fact if you think about it it takes 797 00:36:53,749 --> 00:36:50,190 Saturn 30 years to go around the Sun a 798 00:36:56,960 --> 00:36:53,759 single time so three decades will pass 799 00:37:00,019 --> 00:36:56,970 before we have the opportunity to once 800 00:37:03,109 --> 00:37:00,029 again observe Saturn and tighten at the 801 00:37:06,349 --> 00:37:03,119 summer solstice and moving on to my next 802 00:37:08,180 --> 00:37:06,359 graphic in fact for Titan the next few 803 00:37:11,809 --> 00:37:08,190 years will be some of the most exciting 804 00:37:13,430 --> 00:37:11,819 time for Titan whether this image Titan 805 00:37:16,009 --> 00:37:13,440 is huge it's about the size of the 806 00:37:18,529 --> 00:37:16,019 planet Mercury it has a thick nitrogen 807 00:37:20,210 --> 00:37:18,539 atmosphere and as Carolyn mentioned it's 808 00:37:23,109 --> 00:37:20,220 one of the only worlds besides the earth 809 00:37:25,099 --> 00:37:23,119 where liquids pool on the surface and 810 00:37:27,019 --> 00:37:25,109 minus two hundred ninety degrees 811 00:37:29,059 --> 00:37:27,029 Fahrenheit those liquids are methane and 812 00:37:32,150 --> 00:37:29,069 ethane and there are lots of organics on 813 00:37:34,720 --> 00:37:32,160 the surface of Titan if you look at this 814 00:37:37,549 --> 00:37:34,730 image here this is a near infrared image 815 00:37:38,990 --> 00:37:37,559 basically a false-color image it turns 816 00:37:41,359 --> 00:37:39,000 out that if you look in the visible you 817 00:37:43,609 --> 00:37:41,369 can't see through to titan's surface but 818 00:37:45,529 --> 00:37:43,619 if you look in the near-infrared you can 819 00:37:47,779 --> 00:37:45,539 then start to see those details and 820 00:37:50,960 --> 00:37:47,789 those black splotches up toward the top 821 00:37:52,789 --> 00:37:50,970 of the image are these lakes that we see 822 00:37:55,130 --> 00:37:52,799 on Titan and it's just very intriguing 823 00:37:58,220 --> 00:37:55,140 to think about not only it's tight in a 824 00:38:00,499 --> 00:37:58,230 giant laboratory for how life might have 825 00:38:02,660 --> 00:38:00,509 started on the earth one also wonders 826 00:38:05,089 --> 00:38:02,670 could there possibly be some kind of 827 00:38:06,950 --> 00:38:05,099 methane based life that might be in the 828 00:38:09,319 --> 00:38:06,960 lakes and then of course Titan has a 829 00:38:11,210 --> 00:38:09,329 liquid ocean and so perhaps in that 830 00:38:13,759 --> 00:38:11,220 liquid ocean so in what we have with 831 00:38:17,120 --> 00:38:13,769 Europa perhaps that's another habitat 832 00:38:19,009 --> 00:38:17,130 for life as well and so let's look at 833 00:38:22,039 --> 00:38:19,019 one of those one of those seas up close 834 00:38:24,559 --> 00:38:22,049 if we go on to the next graphic this is 835 00:38:27,680 --> 00:38:24,569 like I amare it's the second largest sea 836 00:38:29,029 --> 00:38:27,690 on Titan it's about the size of one of 837 00:38:32,420 --> 00:38:29,039 the great lakes that you see at the 838 00:38:34,220 --> 00:38:32,430 us-canadian border this lake is filled 839 00:38:36,860 --> 00:38:34,230 with organics with methane and ethane 840 00:38:39,020 --> 00:38:36,870 and all of the lakes on Titan seem to be 841 00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:39,030 congregated pretty much at the North 842 00:38:44,060 --> 00:38:41,010 Pole the exception of just a few lakes 843 00:38:45,560 --> 00:38:44,070 and this is a view at radar wavelength 844 00:38:48,500 --> 00:38:45,570 so again we can see in the near infrared 845 00:38:50,870 --> 00:38:48,510 and radar wavelengths so use all of the 846 00:38:53,390 --> 00:38:50,880 tools that we have on Cassini including 847 00:38:55,660 --> 00:38:53,400 the cameras to help us reveal Titan in 848 00:38:58,010 --> 00:38:55,670 its surface and over the next few years 849 00:39:00,470 --> 00:38:58,020 one of the mysteries we wonder what will 850 00:39:02,810 --> 00:39:00,480 happen with the lakes well the methane 851 00:39:05,330 --> 00:39:02,820 and ethane start to evaporate when we 852 00:39:07,460 --> 00:39:05,340 see clouds of methane come over and fill 853 00:39:10,130 --> 00:39:07,470 what looked like dry ancient lake beds 854 00:39:11,720 --> 00:39:10,140 at the North Pole will there be wind 855 00:39:13,670 --> 00:39:11,730 that will be strong enough to create 856 00:39:16,640 --> 00:39:13,680 waves on the lakes that would be able to 857 00:39:18,980 --> 00:39:16,650 see with the radar data and maybe even 858 00:39:21,950 --> 00:39:18,990 tiny hurricanes depending on how strong 859 00:39:24,200 --> 00:39:21,960 the winds blow at the North Pole so the 860 00:39:25,790 --> 00:39:24,210 seasons are changing and we're really 861 00:39:29,210 --> 00:39:25,800 anxious to see what will happen when 862 00:39:31,790 --> 00:39:29,220 that Sun shines down on the North Pole 863 00:39:33,410 --> 00:39:31,800 of Titan and perhaps we'll answer some 864 00:39:35,540 --> 00:39:33,420 of the mysteries about the lakes why 865 00:39:38,180 --> 00:39:35,550 they're just so predominant at the North 866 00:39:40,550 --> 00:39:38,190 Pole and how they might evolve with the 867 00:39:44,090 --> 00:39:40,560 seasons I'm moving on to Enceladus 868 00:39:46,370 --> 00:39:44,100 that's my next slide and Sela this is 869 00:39:49,340 --> 00:39:46,380 one of the most intriguing objects in 870 00:39:51,440 --> 00:39:49,350 the solar system it has a water ice 871 00:39:54,020 --> 00:39:51,450 surface and as Caroline pointed out you 872 00:39:56,810 --> 00:39:54,030 have Jets of material coming out from 873 00:39:59,210 --> 00:39:56,820 the South Pole primarily liquid water a 874 00:40:01,280 --> 00:39:59,220 lot of it falls back to the surface but 875 00:40:04,010 --> 00:40:01,290 we also have carbon dioxide we have 876 00:40:06,050 --> 00:40:04,020 organics we have nitrogen we basically 877 00:40:08,690 --> 00:40:06,060 have the ingredients there for life 878 00:40:12,350 --> 00:40:08,700 possibly in that liquid water reservoir 879 00:40:14,810 --> 00:40:12,360 beneath Titans South Pole and in fact 880 00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:14,820 the South Pole of Titan or South Levin 881 00:40:19,040 --> 00:40:17,010 cela this is now dark and that's very 882 00:40:21,380 --> 00:40:19,050 interesting because with it dark we can 883 00:40:23,690 --> 00:40:21,390 now measure the heat coming out of the 884 00:40:25,520 --> 00:40:23,700 South Pole very accurately and that 885 00:40:28,520 --> 00:40:25,530 might help tell us what's happening with 886 00:40:31,100 --> 00:40:28,530 Enceladus and why it is so very active 887 00:40:34,490 --> 00:40:31,110 and now if we just zoom in on some of 888 00:40:37,790 --> 00:40:34,500 those Jets up close we have three flybys 889 00:40:39,710 --> 00:40:37,800 coming up in the end of 2015 one of 890 00:40:42,260 --> 00:40:39,720 those flybys is going to fly right 891 00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:42,270 through those Jets and it's going to be 892 00:40:45,799 --> 00:40:44,010 it for the very first time at the time 893 00:40:48,650 --> 00:40:45,809 of maximum emission 894 00:40:51,289 --> 00:40:48,660 of those Jets the Jets vary by about a 895 00:40:53,719 --> 00:40:51,299 factor of three in emission and here for 896 00:40:55,400 --> 00:40:53,729 the first time the end of 2015 will be 897 00:40:57,650 --> 00:40:55,410 able to really make measurements more 898 00:40:59,630 --> 00:40:57,660 detailed compositional measurements to 899 00:41:02,449 --> 00:40:59,640 find out what's coming out of these Jets 900 00:41:04,130 --> 00:41:02,459 and also we'll get a chance one of these 901 00:41:07,069 --> 00:41:04,140 flybys to look at the North Pole of 902 00:41:09,469 --> 00:41:07,079 Enceladus at very high resolution now if 903 00:41:11,150 --> 00:41:09,479 the Sun high in the sky will look for 904 00:41:14,719 --> 00:41:11,160 evidence of what might look like ancient 905 00:41:17,179 --> 00:41:14,729 fractures ancient tiger stripes and to 906 00:41:20,660 --> 00:41:17,189 answer the question was tight was in 907 00:41:23,449 --> 00:41:20,670 selasis North Pole active as active as 908 00:41:25,370 --> 00:41:23,459 perhaps the South Pole is today so a lot 909 00:41:27,529 --> 00:41:25,380 of very interesting things coming up in 910 00:41:30,410 --> 00:41:27,539 the future years with Cassini and 911 00:41:32,660 --> 00:41:30,420 mysteries to solve and finally this set 912 00:41:35,089 --> 00:41:32,670 of orbits besides returning really great 913 00:41:37,249 --> 00:41:35,099 science and looking at a new season on 914 00:41:39,829 --> 00:41:37,259 Saturn is going to put us in great 915 00:41:41,809 --> 00:41:39,839 position for Cassini's endgame these 916 00:41:43,219 --> 00:41:41,819 orbits are carefully positioning us so 917 00:41:46,339 --> 00:41:43,229 that we can get the best data possible 918 00:41:49,130 --> 00:41:46,349 back and it turns out all of those final 919 00:41:50,870 --> 00:41:49,140 orbits will actually dive in between the 920 00:41:52,939 --> 00:41:50,880 innermost ring and the top of the 921 00:41:54,349 --> 00:41:52,949 atmosphere on Saturn and make 922 00:41:56,419 --> 00:41:54,359 measurements for the first time of the 923 00:41:58,640 --> 00:41:56,429 mass of the Rings something we really 924 00:42:00,529 --> 00:41:58,650 don't have a good handle on measure a 925 00:42:02,989 --> 00:42:00,539 new place in the system that we've never 926 00:42:05,239 --> 00:42:02,999 seen before that'll be very very 927 00:42:07,279 --> 00:42:05,249 exciting also make really good 928 00:42:09,650 --> 00:42:07,289 measurements of the gravity field and 929 00:42:11,749 --> 00:42:09,660 the magnetic field around Saturn and 930 00:42:15,109 --> 00:42:11,759 maybe get a handle on what that rotation 931 00:42:17,239 --> 00:42:15,119 rate might be for the planet and here 932 00:42:19,279 --> 00:42:17,249 and I've been very excited to watch when 933 00:42:22,429 --> 00:42:19,289 that data comes back from the very first 934 00:42:24,890 --> 00:42:22,439 orbit what new discoveries might be in 935 00:42:27,289 --> 00:42:24,900 store for Cassini as we go into this new 936 00:42:30,589 --> 00:42:27,299 region that we've never probed before 937 00:42:32,229 --> 00:42:30,599 and so after that I'd like to turn this 938 00:42:34,819 --> 00:42:32,239 over to Earl maze and he'll talk about 939 00:42:36,949 --> 00:42:34,829 how do we shape the orbits to get the 940 00:42:38,989 --> 00:42:36,959 science back that will be coming back 941 00:42:41,809 --> 00:42:38,999 and what do we have for the end game so 942 00:42:45,949 --> 00:42:41,819 Earl all right thanks Linda maybe we 943 00:42:48,349 --> 00:42:45,959 could cue the first animation this is in 944 00:42:50,839 --> 00:42:48,359 typical Cassini scale this is our hour 945 00:42:52,609 --> 00:42:50,849 and a half of terror Mars had their 946 00:42:54,140 --> 00:42:52,619 seven minutes we have an hour and a half 947 00:42:56,239 --> 00:42:54,150 this is us passing through the ring 948 00:42:58,099 --> 00:42:56,249 plane and actually going into orbit 949 00:42:59,250 --> 00:42:58,109 around Saturn if this had not 950 00:43:01,020 --> 00:42:59,260 accomplished 951 00:43:03,780 --> 00:43:01,030 just perfectly we would not be having 952 00:43:05,940 --> 00:43:03,790 talking about the mission today um this 953 00:43:07,890 --> 00:43:05,950 Cassini spacecraft this was nine and a 954 00:43:11,250 --> 00:43:07,900 half years ago is performing absolutely 955 00:43:13,530 --> 00:43:11,260 flawlessly we are in great shape we are 956 00:43:15,390 --> 00:43:13,540 six weeks into our 17th year in flight 957 00:43:18,030 --> 00:43:15,400 is you Carolyn mentioned it to be took 958 00:43:20,370 --> 00:43:18,040 us seven years to get here we're nine 959 00:43:21,960 --> 00:43:20,380 and a half years into our into our 960 00:43:23,370 --> 00:43:21,970 mission and everything's working well if 961 00:43:25,980 --> 00:43:23,380 it said the engineering systems are 962 00:43:27,420 --> 00:43:25,990 working very very well and the 963 00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:27,430 instruments are continuing to turn 964 00:43:33,900 --> 00:43:30,010 phenomenal science with a mission like 965 00:43:35,400 --> 00:43:33,910 this at this level of duration one of 966 00:43:38,490 --> 00:43:35,410 the things the flight teams have to be 967 00:43:40,020 --> 00:43:38,500 very careful about is consumables up the 968 00:43:42,630 --> 00:43:40,030 prime mission for Cassini was seven 969 00:43:45,150 --> 00:43:42,640 years cruise four years in prime mission 970 00:43:47,640 --> 00:43:45,160 and so when you think about us now being 971 00:43:49,350 --> 00:43:47,650 into our 17th year a lot of things are 972 00:43:51,900 --> 00:43:49,360 being used up we have to keep very 973 00:43:54,540 --> 00:43:51,910 careful track of things like power and 974 00:43:56,700 --> 00:43:54,550 on/off cycles instruments are used up 975 00:43:58,920 --> 00:43:56,710 though we don't want them to be overused 976 00:44:00,870 --> 00:43:58,930 one of the things we watch most 977 00:44:04,470 --> 00:44:00,880 carefully as obviously as you can see 978 00:44:06,390 --> 00:44:04,480 here is propellant very very carefully 979 00:44:09,690 --> 00:44:06,400 watching the propellant talk Cassini has 980 00:44:11,730 --> 00:44:09,700 two separate propulsion systems a by 981 00:44:14,700 --> 00:44:11,740 propellant system that powers the main 982 00:44:17,610 --> 00:44:14,710 engine is the graphic shows and we've 983 00:44:19,410 --> 00:44:17,620 used about ninety percent of that during 984 00:44:22,290 --> 00:44:19,420 the prime mission and we used another 985 00:44:23,640 --> 00:44:22,300 six percent of that during the extended 986 00:44:25,770 --> 00:44:23,650 mission in the first two years of the 987 00:44:27,360 --> 00:44:25,780 sole suspicion so right now we've got 988 00:44:30,630 --> 00:44:27,370 about four percent of our propellant 989 00:44:34,560 --> 00:44:30,640 left there's a Jackson Browne song about 990 00:44:36,360 --> 00:44:34,570 that and running on empty is uh is not a 991 00:44:39,230 --> 00:44:36,370 good situation to be in fortunately 992 00:44:41,520 --> 00:44:39,240 we've got another propellant system the 993 00:44:43,830 --> 00:44:41,530 spacecraft is also equipped with a 994 00:44:46,680 --> 00:44:43,840 hydrazine a system that small that 995 00:44:48,240 --> 00:44:46,690 powers the smaller thrusters and they're 996 00:44:50,640 --> 00:44:48,250 used for attitude control and for very 997 00:44:53,040 --> 00:44:50,650 small veneer burns to control our 998 00:44:55,560 --> 00:44:53,050 trajectory the good news is that we've 999 00:44:57,810 --> 00:44:55,570 got of over thirty percent of that 1000 00:44:59,970 --> 00:44:57,820 propellant still left and that is more 1001 00:45:01,350 --> 00:44:59,980 than enough to finish up the mission the 1002 00:45:03,720 --> 00:45:01,360 way we accomplished this and maybe we 1003 00:45:05,760 --> 00:45:03,730 could cue the next video of the way we 1004 00:45:09,300 --> 00:45:05,770 do this is with a very carefully 1005 00:45:11,910 --> 00:45:09,310 designed mission that uses Saturn's 1006 00:45:13,060 --> 00:45:11,920 largest moon Titan in order to bend and 1007 00:45:15,100 --> 00:45:13,070 reshape the trajectory 1008 00:45:17,530 --> 00:45:15,110 should point out as you'll see in this 1009 00:45:19,540 --> 00:45:17,540 graphic no one has ever done anything 1010 00:45:22,390 --> 00:45:19,550 like this before nothing this complex 1011 00:45:24,610 --> 00:45:22,400 what we do is by carefully controlling 1012 00:45:26,620 --> 00:45:24,620 how we fly by Titan we can bend the 1013 00:45:28,570 --> 00:45:26,630 trajectory up bend it down right now you 1014 00:45:31,690 --> 00:45:28,580 can see it's in a very highly inclined 1015 00:45:33,640 --> 00:45:31,700 orbit we can bend it up bend it down we 1016 00:45:36,670 --> 00:45:33,650 can rotate it around we can lengthen it 1017 00:45:39,460 --> 00:45:36,680 we can shorten it by carefully flying by 1018 00:45:41,230 --> 00:45:39,470 Titan we can add or subtract nearly 800 1019 00:45:43,330 --> 00:45:41,240 meters per second to the spacecraft's 1020 00:45:45,160 --> 00:45:43,340 trajectory and pretty much do go 1021 00:45:46,840 --> 00:45:45,170 wherever we want as you can see we've 1022 00:45:49,120 --> 00:45:46,850 spending a lot of time traveling around 1023 00:45:52,150 --> 00:45:49,130 in various parts of the of the Saturn 1024 00:45:54,250 --> 00:45:52,160 system if we've done it very very 1025 00:45:56,080 --> 00:45:54,260 carefully we can actually control the 1026 00:45:58,780 --> 00:45:56,090 trajectory to the point where we need 1027 00:46:01,840 --> 00:45:58,790 very very little propellant as a matter 1028 00:46:03,550 --> 00:46:01,850 of fact we need hardly any and that's 1029 00:46:05,830 --> 00:46:03,560 why this hydrogen system works so well 1030 00:46:07,780 --> 00:46:05,840 what it does require though is very 1031 00:46:11,200 --> 00:46:07,790 meticulous attention from the flight 1032 00:46:13,030 --> 00:46:11,210 team they've got to be so I like to say 1033 00:46:15,310 --> 00:46:13,040 this is a very sporty course because we 1034 00:46:17,080 --> 00:46:15,320 have some little propellant left we've 1035 00:46:18,760 --> 00:46:17,090 got to be very very careful and very 1036 00:46:20,890 --> 00:46:18,770 diligent about managing a few ejector II 1037 00:46:22,720 --> 00:46:20,900 even a slight miss at one of these 1038 00:46:24,970 --> 00:46:22,730 Titans can put us off into a different 1039 00:46:27,340 --> 00:46:24,980 path where we really don't have enough 1040 00:46:31,210 --> 00:46:27,350 repent to get us back on force us into a 1041 00:46:32,560 --> 00:46:31,220 pretty serious redesign which we really 1042 00:46:34,480 --> 00:46:32,570 would be not deal equipped to do at this 1043 00:46:35,920 --> 00:46:34,490 point so we're very careful about it the 1044 00:46:37,870 --> 00:46:35,930 flight team has done an excellent job of 1045 00:46:39,400 --> 00:46:37,880 maintaining trajectory we do very tiny 1046 00:46:41,530 --> 00:46:39,410 maneuvers sometimes when the order of 1047 00:46:43,300 --> 00:46:41,540 maybe a few tens of millimeters per 1048 00:46:48,370 --> 00:46:43,310 second or very carefully tweaked the 1049 00:46:50,200 --> 00:46:48,380 trajectory to manage its its flybys and 1050 00:46:52,390 --> 00:46:50,210 to accomplish the science for the next 1051 00:46:54,100 --> 00:46:52,400 four years so we actually have what we 1052 00:46:57,670 --> 00:46:54,110 would call a margin for the next few 1053 00:46:59,290 --> 00:46:57,680 years um you can see of maybe I'll just 1054 00:47:01,720 --> 00:46:59,300 point a few things here on the animation 1055 00:47:03,040 --> 00:47:01,730 we have highly inclined orbits these 1056 00:47:05,050 --> 00:47:03,050 purple orbits and then we come 1057 00:47:06,130 --> 00:47:05,060 flattening back down now we're coming 1058 00:47:08,680 --> 00:47:06,140 back up as you see in the animation 1059 00:47:10,540 --> 00:47:08,690 flattening it back down we will lower 1060 00:47:13,060 --> 00:47:10,550 this back down for the final as Linda 1061 00:47:16,540 --> 00:47:13,070 pointed out the final set of orbits for 1062 00:47:18,370 --> 00:47:16,550 on Enceladus and then after that we'll 1063 00:47:19,780 --> 00:47:18,380 wind it back up and we're going to do 1064 00:47:22,000 --> 00:47:19,790 something entirely differently that's 1065 00:47:23,500 --> 00:47:22,010 what you can see now the final year of 1066 00:47:25,750 --> 00:47:23,510 the mission will be very very different 1067 00:47:26,800 --> 00:47:25,760 we're going to use the final type of 1068 00:47:28,780 --> 00:47:26,810 life one 1069 00:47:31,930 --> 00:47:28,790 of the last final flight wise Titan 1070 00:47:34,570 --> 00:47:31,940 flybys excuse me to move ourselves in to 1071 00:47:36,130 --> 00:47:34,580 the very edge of the most sensible set 1072 00:47:38,680 --> 00:47:36,140 of the Rings it's called the F ring 1073 00:47:40,690 --> 00:47:38,690 we're going to spend 20 orbits flirting 1074 00:47:43,480 --> 00:47:40,700 with the F ring and then with a lot more 1075 00:47:45,250 --> 00:47:43,490 Titan flyby we're going to if you'll 1076 00:47:46,870 --> 00:47:45,260 permit me a Southern California surfing 1077 00:47:50,950 --> 00:47:46,880 metaphor we're going to shoot the pier 1078 00:47:52,750 --> 00:47:50,960 there is a 1200 my lap between the 1079 00:47:54,970 --> 00:47:52,760 d-ring the interval Saturn ring and 1080 00:47:56,980 --> 00:47:54,980 Saturn's atmosphere and we've done a lot 1081 00:48:00,130 --> 00:47:56,990 of analysis on that area and it looks to 1082 00:48:03,220 --> 00:48:00,140 be very safe not very safe but safe 1083 00:48:04,390 --> 00:48:03,230 enough for us to go through so what 1084 00:48:06,430 --> 00:48:04,400 we're going to do is we're me use the 1085 00:48:08,500 --> 00:48:06,440 one last Titan flyby to push us into 1086 00:48:11,290 --> 00:48:08,510 that gap and we're going to spend 22 1087 00:48:13,450 --> 00:48:11,300 orbits in 22 weeks going through that 1088 00:48:17,140 --> 00:48:13,460 period that space all right here's it 1089 00:48:18,820 --> 00:48:17,150 here's a spacecraft view of this gap as 1090 00:48:20,230 --> 00:48:18,830 you can see we whizzed through very very 1091 00:48:21,850 --> 00:48:20,240 quickly when we traveled about 30 1092 00:48:23,380 --> 00:48:21,860 kilometers per second as we go through 1093 00:48:26,530 --> 00:48:23,390 there we're going to do that 22 times 1094 00:48:28,660 --> 00:48:26,540 are exploring regions that we have never 1095 00:48:30,250 --> 00:48:28,670 seen before in sampling Saturn's 1096 00:48:32,680 --> 00:48:30,260 atmosphere the inner rings of the dust 1097 00:48:34,890 --> 00:48:32,690 and getting gravity measurements that 1098 00:48:39,280 --> 00:48:34,900 we've never been able to accomplish and 1099 00:48:41,710 --> 00:48:39,290 then finally on sep tember 11th 2017 1100 00:48:50,070 --> 00:48:41,720 we're going to use one last titan flyby 1101 00:48:56,740 --> 00:48:53,290 the flyby is going to be such that we 1102 00:48:59,800 --> 00:48:56,750 will you know be irreversibly entering 1103 00:49:02,020 --> 00:48:59,810 into Saturn's atmosphere and in 30 km/s 1104 00:49:04,570 --> 00:49:02,030 the spacecraft will be destroyed almost 1105 00:49:07,600 --> 00:49:04,580 immediately nearly four days after the 1106 00:49:10,000 --> 00:49:07,610 fight flyby um thus the end to an 1107 00:49:12,520 --> 00:49:10,010 incredibly glorious exploration of the 1108 00:49:14,170 --> 00:49:12,530 Saturnian system a legacy of science and 1109 00:49:15,820 --> 00:49:14,180 injured at ax and engineering 1110 00:49:18,820 --> 00:49:15,830 achievements that will I don't believe 1111 00:49:20,290 --> 00:49:18,830 be duplicated for a very long time and I 1112 00:49:22,720 --> 00:49:20,300 think a wealth of information for 1113 00:49:27,270 --> 00:49:22,730 generations to come it's our final 1114 00:49:30,360 --> 00:49:27,280 goodbye to Cassini in September 2017 1115 00:49:32,650 --> 00:49:30,370 excellent eneral I love that picture of 1116 00:49:35,710 --> 00:49:32,660 Cassini kind of being crushed by the 1117 00:49:38,560 --> 00:49:35,720 embrace of Saturn whom it's been 1118 00:49:40,660 --> 00:49:38,570 circling for so long well sounds like 1119 00:49:43,780 --> 00:49:40,670 cocina really has a great to do 1120 00:49:46,210 --> 00:49:43,790 in front of it I have a question this 1121 00:49:49,750 --> 00:49:46,220 one I think Linda can take on Twitter 1122 00:49:53,559 --> 00:49:49,760 from Tim Johnson who is asking on behalf 1123 00:49:56,020 --> 00:49:53,569 of the conex school Damien from this 1124 00:49:59,500 --> 00:49:56,030 glass what kind of storms are common on 1125 00:50:02,170 --> 00:49:59,510 Saturn kinds of storms that are common 1126 00:50:04,990 --> 00:50:02,180 on Saturn we've had one very huge storm 1127 00:50:06,940 --> 00:50:05,000 it started in december 2010 and lasted 1128 00:50:08,710 --> 00:50:06,950 for about nine months so we can have 1129 00:50:11,289 --> 00:50:08,720 huge storms that happen about once every 1130 00:50:13,120 --> 00:50:11,299 thirty years around Saturn we can have 1131 00:50:15,760 --> 00:50:13,130 giant hurricanes at the North and South 1132 00:50:17,589 --> 00:50:15,770 Poles of Saturn and can also have 1133 00:50:19,900 --> 00:50:17,599 smaller vortices there's a region we 1134 00:50:21,520 --> 00:50:19,910 call dragon alley early in the mission 1135 00:50:27,549 --> 00:50:21,530 in the south where we had lots of storms 1136 00:50:29,500 --> 00:50:27,559 and lightning with it I remember you're 1137 00:50:31,930 --> 00:50:29,510 telling me is that these huge storms 1138 00:50:34,000 --> 00:50:31,940 actually occur once every 30 years or 1139 00:50:37,150 --> 00:50:34,010 they had been in the past but did we get 1140 00:50:38,589 --> 00:50:37,160 it early will we get another one it 1141 00:50:41,319 --> 00:50:38,599 turns out that these stars about once 1142 00:50:43,900 --> 00:50:41,329 every 30 years tend to occur closer to 1143 00:50:45,490 --> 00:50:43,910 Saturn solstice and so he got this storm 1144 00:50:48,039 --> 00:50:45,500 a little bit early sort of in Saturn's 1145 00:50:50,319 --> 00:50:48,049 spring and so we wonder perhaps is there 1146 00:50:52,420 --> 00:50:50,329 another giant storm in store or just 1147 00:50:58,000 --> 00:50:52,430 like Earth weather is variable did we 1148 00:51:00,549 --> 00:50:58,010 get our big storm early I'm great okay 1149 00:51:04,270 --> 00:51:00,559 well we've got another question um this 1150 00:51:08,559 --> 00:51:04,280 one I think I'm going to maybe send to 1151 00:51:11,530 --> 00:51:08,569 Carolyn it's uh Reginald on our ustream 1152 00:51:14,710 --> 00:51:11,540 box is asking are the cameras capable of 1153 00:51:19,319 --> 00:51:14,720 gathering spectra to identify chemical 1154 00:51:23,770 --> 00:51:19,329 bond types in the clouds at Saturn um 1155 00:51:27,370 --> 00:51:23,780 cameras generally don't unless they're 1156 00:51:30,730 --> 00:51:27,380 outfitted with a spectrometer and for 1157 00:51:33,510 --> 00:51:30,740 example the bim's instrument is as an 1158 00:51:37,599 --> 00:51:33,520 imaging component and that also has a 1159 00:51:41,170 --> 00:51:37,609 spectrometer with it also in both the 1160 00:51:44,910 --> 00:51:41,180 visual and in the infrared unless you 1161 00:51:49,319 --> 00:51:44,920 have an instrument that can spread the 1162 00:51:52,599 --> 00:51:49,329 light out very finely in wavelengths so 1163 00:51:54,010 --> 00:51:52,609 that you have high resolution in the 1164 00:51:56,920 --> 00:51:54,020 wavelength domain 1165 00:52:00,100 --> 00:51:56,930 you generally can't do a whole lot of 1166 00:52:01,990 --> 00:52:00,110 detailed chemical identification so we 1167 00:52:05,200 --> 00:52:02,000 don't have that with the Cassini cameras 1168 00:52:08,770 --> 00:52:05,210 we have very broad band filters and then 1169 00:52:11,080 --> 00:52:08,780 moderately broadband so we're not so 1170 00:52:14,890 --> 00:52:11,090 much in the business of identifying 1171 00:52:16,690 --> 00:52:14,900 whether or not it's you know well I 1172 00:52:18,100 --> 00:52:16,700 can't even guess right now but we're not 1173 00:52:20,950 --> 00:52:18,110 we're not identifying particular 1174 00:52:23,140 --> 00:52:20,960 chemicals or chemical bonds what we can 1175 00:52:26,260 --> 00:52:23,150 do is we can say that we have an ice on 1176 00:52:28,240 --> 00:52:26,270 the surface that absorbs a lot in the 1177 00:52:31,540 --> 00:52:28,250 infrared but maybe not so much in the 1178 00:52:34,360 --> 00:52:31,550 ultraviolet and in some sense colors is 1179 00:52:38,500 --> 00:52:34,370 really a the spectral information that 1180 00:52:39,760 --> 00:52:38,510 we can get with the cameras you 1181 00:52:41,590 --> 00:52:39,770 mentioned that Cassini actually does 1182 00:52:46,480 --> 00:52:41,600 have other capabilities to do something 1183 00:52:47,980 --> 00:52:46,490 like that oh are you asking you it's 1184 00:52:49,390 --> 00:52:47,990 going to throw it back to Linda just to 1185 00:52:51,910 --> 00:52:49,400 mention it for a second I think you 1186 00:52:54,550 --> 00:52:51,920 might be on mute but does Cassini have 1187 00:52:56,680 --> 00:52:54,560 something else that could do science of 1188 00:52:58,000 --> 00:52:56,690 that type right for composition we have 1189 00:53:00,430 --> 00:52:58,010 an instrument called the composite 1190 00:53:02,200 --> 00:53:00,440 infrared spectrometer it looks in the 1191 00:53:04,030 --> 00:53:02,210 the mid and far I are and it can 1192 00:53:05,980 --> 00:53:04,040 actually make measurements to tell you 1193 00:53:08,140 --> 00:53:05,990 what kind of molecules that you have in 1194 00:53:09,670 --> 00:53:08,150 the atmosphere not only hydrogen which 1195 00:53:11,170 --> 00:53:09,680 is the main constituent of Saturn's 1196 00:53:14,170 --> 00:53:11,180 atmosphere but you can also measure 1197 00:53:16,000 --> 00:53:14,180 things like methane and hydrocarbons it 1198 00:53:18,340 --> 00:53:16,010 can measure those bonds I think that 1199 00:53:19,750 --> 00:53:18,350 we're being asked about so we have that 1200 00:53:21,030 --> 00:53:19,760 with a composite of red spectrometer 1201 00:53:23,860 --> 00:53:21,040 than the visual and infrared 1202 00:53:27,610 --> 00:53:23,870 spectrometer also can make measurements 1203 00:53:29,980 --> 00:53:27,620 of the composition thanks for answering 1204 00:53:33,010 --> 00:53:29,990 those questions Linda and Carolyn so 1205 00:53:35,320 --> 00:53:33,020 I've got another hexagon question for 1206 00:53:37,840 --> 00:53:35,330 cuneo and maybe you can also elaborate 1207 00:53:40,960 --> 00:53:37,850 some more on the storm since I think you 1208 00:53:43,300 --> 00:53:40,970 actually did your dissertation on storms 1209 00:53:46,030 --> 00:53:43,310 on Saturn so here's a question from 1210 00:53:49,120 --> 00:53:46,040 Veronica vixen on twitter is the hexagon 1211 00:53:52,120 --> 00:53:49,130 on the actual surface of Saturn or is it 1212 00:53:55,440 --> 00:53:52,130 an optical illusion or org assets like 1213 00:53:58,600 --> 00:53:55,450 the clouds okay it's definitely not an 1214 00:54:01,180 --> 00:53:58,610 illusion of any kind this is a real real 1215 00:54:06,640 --> 00:54:01,190 feature that does exist and it has been 1216 00:54:07,660 --> 00:54:06,650 there since 1981 it is gas so it's clear 1217 00:54:09,970 --> 00:54:07,670 well 1218 00:54:12,730 --> 00:54:09,980 it's a pattern of cloud so its gaseous 1219 00:54:15,700 --> 00:54:12,740 it's not it's a solid feature that we 1220 00:54:17,770 --> 00:54:15,710 have on the surface of Saturn that is a 1221 00:54:19,809 --> 00:54:17,780 gas giant planet so there's no such 1222 00:54:22,630 --> 00:54:19,819 thing as mountains and valleys or even 1223 00:54:25,390 --> 00:54:22,640 oceans on Saturn what we have is a 1224 00:54:27,250 --> 00:54:25,400 bottomless apples here if you try to 1225 00:54:31,059 --> 00:54:27,260 line on Saturn we're just going to sick 1226 00:54:33,970 --> 00:54:31,069 sick to the core basically the 1227 00:54:36,700 --> 00:54:33,980 atmosphere there's no solid ground we 1228 00:54:39,579 --> 00:54:36,710 can stand on but the hexagon is a real 1229 00:54:42,400 --> 00:54:39,589 feature it is a jet stream as I said 1230 00:54:44,470 --> 00:54:42,410 earlier it is folded it into six sided 1231 00:54:46,569 --> 00:54:44,480 shape and it is a very stable features 1232 00:54:49,140 --> 00:54:46,579 that is a surprising part of it and we 1233 00:54:51,490 --> 00:54:49,150 are starting to study that feature and 1234 00:54:54,010 --> 00:54:51,500 he said there was a question about the 1235 00:55:00,099 --> 00:54:54,020 storm as well or should I just launch 1236 00:55:02,049 --> 00:55:00,109 into the discussion uh well why don't 1237 00:55:04,589 --> 00:55:02,059 you just tell us a little bit more about 1238 00:55:07,839 --> 00:55:04,599 the storm we were talking about how um 1239 00:55:09,849 --> 00:55:07,849 you know they seem to appear once every 1240 00:55:12,460 --> 00:55:09,859 thirty years or so I mean was the storm 1241 00:55:14,109 --> 00:55:12,470 that we saw for instance a couple of 1242 00:55:16,839 --> 00:55:14,119 years ago the biggest that we've ever 1243 00:55:18,819 --> 00:55:16,849 seen a comparable or gotta see what 1244 00:55:21,400 --> 00:55:18,829 perspective right there near storms um 1245 00:55:23,680 --> 00:55:21,410 yeah so did this is a very special kind 1246 00:55:26,500 --> 00:55:23,690 of storms because Saturn is of course 1247 00:55:29,289 --> 00:55:26,510 spherical but what's special about these 1248 00:55:31,539 --> 00:55:29,299 storm is that it lasts so long and it's 1249 00:55:33,970 --> 00:55:31,549 so big that it actually wraps around the 1250 00:55:37,270 --> 00:55:33,980 planet it's a single stronger storm that 1251 00:55:40,180 --> 00:55:37,280 blows up on once once one spot but the 1252 00:55:42,309 --> 00:55:40,190 cloud extends that so much patterns on 1253 00:55:45,099 --> 00:55:42,319 big time to start with on that big 1254 00:55:46,900 --> 00:55:45,109 planet this storm cloud completely wraps 1255 00:55:51,940 --> 00:55:46,910 around the planet so this is a very 1256 00:55:53,589 --> 00:55:51,950 special I'm kind of storm that is that 1257 00:55:55,900 --> 00:55:53,599 actually wrap around the planet yeah 1258 00:55:59,470 --> 00:55:55,910 there's the image so this is I think 1259 00:56:03,160 --> 00:55:59,480 this is an image is from around the 1260 00:56:04,660 --> 00:56:03,170 brewery or march of 2011 and this is 1261 00:56:07,569 --> 00:56:04,670 you're seeing the phase of the storm 1262 00:56:09,870 --> 00:56:07,579 that in which the storm has not wrapped 1263 00:56:13,299 --> 00:56:09,880 around the planet yet at the left end 1264 00:56:15,609 --> 00:56:13,309 this sort of looks like a comment so the 1265 00:56:18,370 --> 00:56:15,619 action thunderstorm the most intense 1266 00:56:19,380 --> 00:56:18,380 intense thunderstorm is happening at the 1267 00:56:23,430 --> 00:56:19,390 left yet 1268 00:56:26,160 --> 00:56:23,440 of this image that's where the stone is 1269 00:56:28,410 --> 00:56:26,170 core is located and then that strong 1270 00:56:30,150 --> 00:56:28,420 cloud is getting blown down when by 1271 00:56:33,089 --> 00:56:30,160 other in jet streams that's surrounding 1272 00:56:35,430 --> 00:56:33,099 the result and so this is about three 1273 00:56:37,890 --> 00:56:35,440 months into the storm so the storm 1274 00:56:40,200 --> 00:56:37,900 started in december of 2010 so i'm 1275 00:56:43,559 --> 00:56:40,210 guessing just as i've seen these 1276 00:56:45,359 --> 00:56:43,569 pictures hundreds of times so it looks 1277 00:56:49,170 --> 00:56:45,369 like a morphology we had it like they're 1278 00:56:51,029 --> 00:56:49,180 very much of 2011 at that phase the 1279 00:56:54,059 --> 00:56:51,039 storm has had wrapped around the planet 1280 00:56:56,039 --> 00:56:54,069 only half of the logic age so it has 1281 00:57:00,319 --> 00:56:56,049 gone around only half of the planet but 1282 00:57:03,140 --> 00:57:00,329 in june of 2011 the storms head actually 1283 00:57:07,079 --> 00:57:03,150 caught up with the tail of the storm and 1284 00:57:09,569 --> 00:57:07,089 then when this one the head bit the pale 1285 00:57:12,029 --> 00:57:09,579 somehow the head disappeared so that was 1286 00:57:14,490 --> 00:57:12,039 really exciting event that we were not 1287 00:57:17,069 --> 00:57:14,500 expecting it to happen that way the 1288 00:57:20,670 --> 00:57:17,079 storm lasted for two hundred days at two 1289 00:57:22,769 --> 00:57:20,680 hundred first days and then that when 1290 00:57:24,660 --> 00:57:22,779 the head caught up with a pale the head 1291 00:57:25,769 --> 00:57:24,670 actually disintegrated and that's how 1292 00:57:30,420 --> 00:57:25,779 the song ended so that was really 1293 00:57:33,210 --> 00:57:30,430 dramatic either um can I am reenactment 1294 00:57:35,609 --> 00:57:33,220 oh sure okay Carolyn I just want to say 1295 00:57:38,809 --> 00:57:35,619 about this storm another really 1296 00:57:41,279 --> 00:57:38,819 important aspect of it is that they're 1297 00:57:45,059 --> 00:57:41,289 estimating from the lightning strikes 1298 00:57:46,740 --> 00:57:45,069 that occur in it ah the estimate of the 1299 00:57:49,740 --> 00:57:46,750 total amount of energy in this storm 1300 00:57:52,140 --> 00:57:49,750 makes it comparable to the amount of 1301 00:57:53,960 --> 00:57:52,150 energy that's coming out of Saturn so 1302 00:57:56,460 --> 00:57:53,970 that means that this storm in the 1303 00:57:59,370 --> 00:57:56,470 frequency of the storms once every 1304 00:58:01,410 --> 00:57:59,380 thirty years and so on it these storms 1305 00:58:04,019 --> 00:58:01,420 are playing a role in the thermal 1306 00:58:06,120 --> 00:58:04,029 evolution of the planet so that was to 1307 00:58:08,779 --> 00:58:06,130 me as a non atmospheric scientist that 1308 00:58:13,200 --> 00:58:08,789 was one of the most exciting discoveries 1309 00:58:15,150 --> 00:58:13,210 in being there to witness this event 1310 00:58:18,059 --> 00:58:15,160 that happens only once every thirty 1311 00:58:20,190 --> 00:58:18,069 years and it's just another example of 1312 00:58:23,490 --> 00:58:20,200 why it is so important if you really 1313 00:58:25,829 --> 00:58:23,500 want to understand how planets work so 1314 00:58:30,120 --> 00:58:25,839 we need to have ours are robots are 1315 00:58:32,640 --> 00:58:30,130 machinery in orbit around planets might 1316 00:58:33,599 --> 00:58:32,650 give having the time to monitor them in 1317 00:58:38,880 --> 00:58:33,609 order to understand 1318 00:58:40,529 --> 00:58:38,890 them in full thanks Carolyn so we're 1319 00:58:42,359 --> 00:58:40,539 getting a lot of great questions on our 1320 00:58:45,269 --> 00:58:42,369 social media outlets and in fact you're 1321 00:58:48,660 --> 00:58:45,279 getting some budget questions like from 1322 00:58:50,609 --> 00:58:48,670 crystal on Google+ about the given the 1323 00:58:53,220 --> 00:58:50,619 announcement of restructuring of NASA's 1324 00:58:56,400 --> 00:58:53,230 planetary sciences what's the future of 1325 00:58:58,529 --> 00:58:56,410 Cassini uh you know I think that these 1326 00:59:01,470 --> 00:58:58,539 are all great questions and we don't yet 1327 00:59:04,049 --> 00:59:01,480 know the answers we have a lot yet to 1328 00:59:06,870 --> 00:59:04,059 learn Saturn and you know we hope the 1329 00:59:08,069 --> 00:59:06,880 mission continues through 2017 but you 1330 00:59:09,989 --> 00:59:08,079 know you can always ask your questions 1331 00:59:11,640 --> 00:59:09,999 to NASA headquarters they're the folks 1332 00:59:14,970 --> 00:59:11,650 that make the decisions about the budget 1333 00:59:17,239 --> 00:59:14,980 so we're going to do one last question 1334 00:59:20,700 --> 00:59:17,249 and this one I'm going to throw to Earl 1335 00:59:25,019 --> 00:59:20,710 we have a question from at the real jet 1336 00:59:26,729 --> 00:59:25,029 jab on Twitter and so he's asked how 1337 00:59:29,220 --> 00:59:26,739 many more years of operation do we 1338 00:59:30,720 --> 00:59:29,230 expect to get from the cassini probe so 1339 00:59:34,079 --> 00:59:30,730 I know that we've got this kind of 1340 00:59:36,509 --> 00:59:34,089 planned dive into Saturn and 2017 but 1341 00:59:39,120 --> 00:59:36,519 you know how we basically eked out the 1342 00:59:43,079 --> 00:59:39,130 last fumes here on kissena or could it 1343 00:59:46,170 --> 00:59:43,089 go for longer we could maybe go a little 1344 00:59:48,660 --> 00:59:46,180 bit longer but not much one of the very 1345 00:59:51,569 --> 00:59:48,670 important things about end of mission of 1346 00:59:54,660 --> 00:59:51,579 scenarios with these probes that are 1347 00:59:58,289 --> 00:59:54,670 exploring systems that have potentially 1348 01:00:01,799 --> 00:59:58,299 prebiotic environments like Enceladus 1349 01:00:03,720 --> 01:00:01,809 Titan or in case of Euro Europa Jupiter 1350 01:00:06,239 --> 01:00:03,730 is that we must dispose of the 1351 01:00:08,309 --> 01:00:06,249 spacecraft cleanly and so we can't just 1352 01:00:10,289 --> 01:00:08,319 let it run out of propellant and drift 1353 01:00:12,630 --> 01:00:10,299 aimlessly in the system we have to have 1354 01:00:14,880 --> 01:00:12,640 enough margin left in the system to 1355 01:00:16,769 --> 01:00:14,890 dispose of it properly and that is in 1356 01:00:19,229 --> 01:00:16,779 into Saturn's atmosphere where it can't 1357 01:00:21,749 --> 01:00:19,239 you know possibly contaminate anything 1358 01:00:24,390 --> 01:00:21,759 so we could maybe eke out a little bit 1359 01:00:26,549 --> 01:00:24,400 more but we've got it planned now to the 1360 01:00:28,289 --> 01:00:26,559 point where it's just it's a perfect 1361 01:00:31,440 --> 01:00:28,299 into the mission will have very little 1362 01:00:36,599 --> 01:00:31,450 propellant left and that's I think the 1363 01:00:38,249 --> 01:00:36,609 best way for us to proceed great well 1364 01:00:39,989 --> 01:00:38,259 we've had a really wonderful google 1365 01:00:43,170 --> 01:00:39,999 hangout thank you to everybody who's 1366 01:00:44,670 --> 01:00:43,180 participated you know the conversation 1367 01:00:46,799 --> 01:00:44,680 doesn't have to stop here we can 1368 01:00:47,430 --> 01:00:46,809 continue to work on all the questions 1369 01:00:50,550 --> 01:00:47,440 that we can get 1370 01:00:53,940 --> 01:00:50,560 to on social media Cassini has a twitter 1371 01:00:57,059 --> 01:00:53,950 account at Cassini Saturn we also have 1372 01:00:58,740 --> 01:00:57,069 the web pages and we've got a slate sort 1373 01:01:00,829 --> 01:00:58,750 of showing you how you can keep in 1374 01:01:02,730 --> 01:01:00,839 contact with us cuneo has also 1375 01:01:04,380 --> 01:01:02,740 volunteered to answer some more 1376 01:01:07,440 --> 01:01:04,390 questions on his Twitter account and 1377 01:01:09,450 --> 01:01:07,450 that's at windy planets so thank you 1378 01:01:11,280 --> 01:01:09,460 very much to everybody who participated 1379 01:01:13,500 --> 01:01:11,290 in our show and asked us questions and 1380 01:01:14,970 --> 01:01:13,510 we hope you guys will hear some more 1381 01:01:22,410 --> 01:01:14,980 about the wonderful things that cassini 1382 01:01:26,910 --> 01:01:22,420 is doing thanks everyone that turned out 1383 01:01:39,650 --> 01:01:26,920 that we have to be off right 130 so we