Cassini Captures Closest Images of Saturn's Atmosphere | Hacker News Reader

Cassini Captures Closest Images of Saturn's Atmosphere

nasa.gov

39 points_eric7 comments

I think if I got to fly by one planet in our solar system, I'd want it to be Saturn.

The scene in Interstellar before they fly into the wormhole is one of the most beautiful space shots. I'd love to experience that in real life (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WldmX1zu6vM)

Also, if there are any blossoming film directors hanging out on HN, I'd absolutely pay to watch a full-length movie of space travel of planetary fly bys.

Mr Wernquist made some excellent shorts. Would pay to see a 2+ hour feature in Imax. Sagan commentary/mix would great, but not required.

http://www.erikwernquist.com/

I recently installed an app[0] on my mobile, viewing it with a Google Cardboard. My mobile has a comically-cracked screen and my cardboard's magnet-activated interaction button was missing and the head band too tight, so the viewer had to be held in hand - in short, the worst possible VR experience contemporarily possible.

And yet, the experience of wooshing around Saturn was utterly awe-inspiring. My heart was in my throat.

I'll likely never fly through the Solar Sytem, but I'm ok with that if I get to try whatever facsimile VR can offer in 20 years time.

[0]https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.drashvr.ti...

My 3 year old son LOVES looking at these pictures with me. everyday he gets home he wants to look at planets, old shuttle launch footage, spaceships or the IIS live feed. Makes me sad that we don't invest much more in space.

Get him KSP :D

The wind speed is measured relative to what?

The calculated rotational speed of Saturn as a whole, I presume. Per wikipedia, we don't have an exact figure for that:

"Astronomers use three different systems for specifying the rotation rate of Saturn. System I has a period of 10 hr 14 min 00 sec (844.3°/d) and encompasses the Equatorial Zone, the South Equatorial Belt and the North Equatorial Belt. The polar regions are considered to have rotation rates similar to System I. All other Saturnian latitudes, excluding the north and south polar regions, are indicated as System II and have been assigned a rotation period of 10 hr 38 min 25.4 sec (810.76°/d). System III refers to Saturn's internal rotation rate. Based on radio emissions from the planet in the period of the Voyager flybys, it has been assigned a rotation period of 10 hr 39 min 22.4 sec (810.8°/d). Because it is close to System II, it has largely superseded it.[69]

A precise value for the rotation period of the interior remains elusive. While approaching Saturn in 2004, Cassini found that the radio rotation period of Saturn had increased appreciably, to approximately 10 hr 45 min 45 sec (± 36 sec).[70][71] The latest estimate of Saturn's rotation (as an indicated rotation rate for Saturn as a whole) based on a compilation of various measurements from the Cassini, Voyager and Pioneer probes was reported in September 2007 is 10 hr 32 min 35 sec.[72]"

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