NASA's Cassini spacecraft reveals Saturn's magnetic field has no tilt and many more

Image credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI/Hampton University

New Delhi: NASA's Cassini mission has unraveled some stunning facts about Saturn and its famous rings during its journey to the ringed planet.

The space probe, currently undergoing the final phase of its mission, known as the Grand Finale, has made some startling observations of the planet as it makes its unprecedented series of weekly dives between Saturn and its rings.

Based on data collected by Cassini's magnetometer instrument, Saturn's magnetic field has no discernible tilt.

Surprising Saturn Science! @CassiniSaturn spacecraft finds the planet’s magnetic field has no tilt + more! Details: https://t.co/Mm8f0SKznB pic.twitter.com/RVGpPUGpwc

— NASA (@NASA) July 24, 2017

This surprising observation, which means the true length of Saturn's day is still unknown, is just one of several early insights from the final phase of Cassini's mission, says NASA.

Scientists say the magnetic field of Saturn appears to be surprisingly well-aligned with the planet's rotation axis. The tilt is much smaller than 0.06 degrees - which is the lower limit the spacecraft's magnetometer data placed on the value prior to the start of the Grand Finale.

"Cassini is performing beautifully in the final leg of its long journey," said Cassini Project Manager Earl Maize at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. "Its observations continue to surprise and delight as we squeeze out every last bit of science that we can get."

They say this observation is at odds with scientists' theoretical understanding of how magnetic fields are generated.

The magnetometer data will also be evaluated in concert with Cassini's measurements of Saturn's gravity field collected during the Grand Finale.

Other recent science highlights include promising hints about the structure and composition of the icy rings, along with high-resolution images of the rings and Saturn's atmosphere.

The sophisticated robotic spacecraft is now in the 15th of 22 weekly orbits that pass through the narrow gap between Saturn and its rings.

Cassini, which began its finale on April 26, will continue its dives until September 15, 2017, when it will make a fateful plunge into Saturn's atmosphere, ending its long of unprecedented scientific discoveries.