Linda J. Spilker - "Going Out in a Blaze of Glory: Cassini Mission Highlights"

Plunging into Saturn's atmosphere at 74,000 mph the Cassini mission will end in a blaze of glory in September, after collecting groundbreaking new science where no spacecraft had flown before. Cassini's Grand Finale caps a 13-year mission of discovery that has revolutionized our understanding of Saturn, its complex rings, the amazing assortment of moons and the planet's dynamic magnetic environment.

Key discoveries include icy jets shooting from the tiny moon Enceladus from a liquid water ocean beneath its ice crust, and methane rain that feeds lakes and seas of liquid hydrocarbons on Saturn's giant moon Titan. Cassini's findings are rewriting the books on the Saturn system, including where we might find life in our own solar system and beyond.

This presentation highlights the Cassini mission's most intriguing discoveries.

Linda J. Spilker is Cassini Mission Project Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

This is a free event; no tickets or reservations are required.

Reserved section tickets are available to members of the Friends of Beckman Auditorium and the Caltech Associates.