THE JOURNEY OF NASA'S VOYAGER CONTINUES....
The Voyager1 and Voyager 2 flyby of outer planets was a revolutionary step to our enhancement of our knowledge of our solar system. Among the planets the flyby of Saturn was a significant one. Let us know more about it.
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| artist-depiction-voyager-spacecraft |
What Voyagers discovered at Saturn? OR What Voyager find
during their flyby of Saturn? Well, Let us break this question into simpler
questions.
When did the voyager space crafts
reached Saturn?
The Voyager 1 and 2 reached Saturn in November 1980 and
August 1981 respectively.
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| Voyager-testing-1977 |
How did the Voyager spacecrafts
reached Saturn?
By a technique, called gravity assist. What gravity assist
basically does is that it gives a boost to the speed of the space craft and
makes long distance travel relatively easier.
What is Saturn (it’s atmosphere) made
of ?
Hydrogen and Helium (7 per cent)
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| dione-moon-of-saturn |
Why it is said that Saturn would
float on water?
Well, the overall density of the planet Saturn is less than
water. And technically, anything lighter than water would float on it. But to
make Saturn float we need a lake larger than Saturn.
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| the-golden-record |
What is the wind speed on the planet
Saturn?
The two Voyager spacecraft measured the wind speeds,
temperature, and density of Saturn's atmosphere. The Winds blow at high speeds
in Saturn. Near the equator, the Voyagers measured winds about 500 m/s. The
winds blows mostly in an easterly direction. Strongest winds are found near the
equator, and velocity falls off uniformly at higher latitudes.
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| Enceladus |
Did the Voyagers measured the
temperature or density of Saturn?
Yes, Voyager 2 did it. It’s radio beam penetrated the upper
atmosphere, and measured temperature and density. Minimum temperatures of 82
Kelvins (-312 degrees Fahrenheit) were found at the 70-millibar level (surface
pressure on Earth is 1,000 millibars). The temperature increased to 143 Kelvins
(-202 degrees Fahrenheit) at the deepest levels probed - - about 1,200
millibars.
What were the auroras found at
Saturn?
The Voyagers found aurora-like ultraviolet emissions of
hydrogen at mid-latitudes in the atmosphere, and auroras at polar latitudes
(above 65 degrees). The high-level auroral activity may lead to formation of
complex hydrocarbon molecules that are carried toward the equator. The
mid-latitude auroras, which occur only in sunlit regions, remain a puzzle,
since bombardment by electrons and ions, known to cause auroras on Earth,
occurs primarily at high latitudes.
What is the rotation period of
Saturn as measured by the Voyagers?
Both Voyagers measured the rotation of Saturn (the length of
a day) at 10 hours, 39 minutes, 24 seconds.
What did the Voyagers find out about
the moons of Saturn?
One of the key findings of the Voyagers' visits to Saturn
was that the planet's moons had evidence of past geological activity and that
Enceladus – the brightest, most reflective planetary body scientists had ever
seen – could still be active. The moon Enceladus was the source of Saturn's E
ring, which was suggested by Voyager,
and later confirmed by Cassini mission.
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| Titan's-atmosphere |
What did the Voyager spacecrafts discovered
about Titan?
Saturn's largest moon, was a high-priority target for the
Voyager mission. Gerard Kuiper, for whom the Kuiper Belt is named, had discovered in 1944 that
Titan had an atmosphere containing methane. Observations from both Voyagers
showed that Titan's atmosphere was primarily composed of nitrogen, with a few
percent methane and smaller amounts of other complex hydrocarbons, such as
ethane, propane, and acetylene. No other moon in the solar system has a dense
atmosphere.
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| Tethys-moon-of-Saturn |
Why was Titan a high priority target
for the mission planners?
Because of it’s atmosphere. Mission planners had mapped out
a path through the Saturn system that provided the gravitational boost needed
to send Voyager 2 onward to Uranus. But because of intense interest in Titan's
atmosphere, the giant moon was the higher priority. In fact, the team would
have directed Voyager 2 much closer to Titan if Voyager 1 had not been
successful in observing it.
How did the moon Titan appeared to
the Voyagers?
Like an orange ball. To the Voyagers, Titan appeared as a
featureless orange ball because of the dense hazziness in its atmosphere.
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| Saturn's rings |
What did the Voyagers discovered
about the rings of Saturn?
The spacecrafts revealed how the gravitational pull of these
moons causes ripples in Saturn's rings. There were also surprising gaps in the
rings, some caused by moons embedded within them.
What did the spacecrafts discovered
about Saturn’s north pole?
Voyager 2 discovered an immense hexagonal feature in the clouds
that surrounded Saturn's north pole.
Where are the Voyager Spacecraft Now?
The Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft have been flying
longer than any other spacecraft in history. Continuing on their decades-long
journeys since their 1977 launches, they each are much farther away from Earth
and the Sun than Pluto. Yes, much farther than Pluto.
In August 2012, Voyager 1 made the historic entry into
interstellar space, the region between stars. Voyager 2 entered interstellar
space on November 5, 2018. Both spacecraft are still sending scientific
information about their surroundings through NASA’s
Deep Space Network, or DSN.
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| Saturn-with-three-of-its-moons |
Which mission followed Voyager’s
journey to Saturn?
The Cassini followed after the Voyagers and it’s findings
were epic as well. Cassini build up and continued the works of the Voyagers on
Saturn. What it discovered is now text in our books. More about Cassini in another
post.
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| relative-positions-of-spacecrafts |
After Voyager and cassini what are the future plans of NASA for
Saturn?
From what we have learnt and building on the work of the two
Voyagers and Cassini, NASA will launch an 8-bladed rotorcraft called Dragonfly
to explore Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. Slated for launch in 2026 and arrival
in 2034, Dragonfly will sample and examine dozens of promising sites around
Saturn’s icy moon and enhance our search
for the beginning of live and it’s fundamentals.
Let’s have a great tech leap and advance our civilization
ahead.
Thank you for reading the article.