Cassini spacecraft said the latest information

Although the Cassini spacecraft's mission ended in September, what the spacecraft "knows" about Saturn and its moons in the last days has just been revealed by NASA.

After debuting in 1997 and approaching the Saturn system in 2004, Cassini spent 13 years exploring the planet and its moons. The data and images show many findings that scientists must change the way we think about our solar system.

Astronomers were able to answer some of the big questions and solve some of the problems about Saturn after studying Cassini's final data. Below is the information they found.

What's in Saturn's atmosphere?

When Cassini sank into Saturn's upper atmosphere, it was a time when a spaceship approached most of a planet. Cassini's last seconds provided the 'first taste' of Saturn's atmosphere - NASA said.

Picture 1 of Cassini spacecraft said the latest information
Scientists discovered methane gas in Saturn's circle.

In about a minute, Cassini was able to transfer the latest data about the composition of the planet while its antennae were still pointing towards Earth, with help from small transmitters. Later, this spacecraft decomposed due to the heat and high pressure of this uncomfortable atmosphere.

For the first time, scientists have had direct measurements and evidence that molecules from Saturn's circles are falling into the planet's atmosphere. Although these circles are mostly water, researchers are also surprised to find methane - something that is not expected to be found in circles or in the atmosphere above. Analysis of the data taken from the lowest height is still in progress.

What keeps Saturn's circles in place?

A key motive for the Cassini mission is to investigate the circles of this planet. Models have shown that circles will spread and disappear without any form of force holding them in place.

In response to these mysteries, Cassini collected observations of waves in circles.

This wave is evidence of moon resonance : the gravity of Saturn's small moons slows the movement of circles and hinders their momentum.

Over the past three decades, astronomers have assumed that Saturn's Janus moon is holding the outer circle A. But there have been hundreds of layers of waves created by different sources, causing gravity to slow down so that they can create edges of the circle.

The moon Pan, Atlas, Prometheus, Pandora, Epimetheus Mimas and Janus share this effort, keeping the circle. Cassini's measurements of the masses of the moons helped confirm that.

'That's the novelty of this idea. No one imagined that the circles would be held back by a common responsibility. ' - Radwan Tajeddine, an astronomer at Cornell University, also led the research circle.

A toxic ice cloud on Titan

The more astronomers learn about Saturn's largest moon - Titan , the more they receive it. Larger than the moon of Earth and Mercury, Titan is unique in the solar system. It is the only moon with clouds and atmospheres dense with nitrogen and methane, making it look like a translucent orange fruit.

Picture 2 of Cassini spacecraft said the latest information
Cassini's data shows a giant cloud of toxic ice on the south pole of the moon.

Titan also has liquid on the surface like Earth, but its rivers, lakes and seas contain liquid ethane and methane - which create clouds and make liquid gas fall from the sky. Titan's surface temperature is very cold, -290 degrees F.

This year, researchers discovered vinyl cyanide , a complex organic molecule capable of forming sphere-like spheres that lead to life.

Currently, Cassini's data shows a giant cloud of toxic ice on the south pole of the moon. It is another contribution to Titan's complex chemical structure - higher than methane rain clouds. This ice cloud is a mixture of concentrated hydrogen cyanide and benzene .

Cassini found evidence for this in the North Pole when he first started his mission. The southernmost discovery occurred at the end of a 13-year journey, allowing researchers to see such changes over time.

For years, Cassini's data and observations show that, although it seems unfriendly to us, moons such as Enceladus and Titan may be eligible for some form of life. And NASA didn't want these moons or any future research on them infected with Earth's particles. Although Cassini has been in space for 20 years, bacteria from the Earth can still exist on this spacecraft without air, water or any protection from radiation.

The data provided by Cassini is a source for researchers to work for months and years to come. Scientists are still trying to find answers to big questions, such as the actual length of a day on Saturn.

'There are people who will have to spend their careers analyzing data from Cassini. In a sense, work is just beginning, "said Linda Spilker, project scientist in NASA's Jet Engine Laboratory.