Mysterious aurora, mighty storms on Saturn

Nov 27, 2008

Although the Cassini probe is working well past its scheduled retirement, the spacecraft is solving and revealing more secrets of the ringed planet.

Working overtime, the Cassini probe within the past month has sent back images of giant storms and a mysterious aurora over the north pole of Saturn.

Launched on October 15, 1997, the Cassini spacecraft arrived at Saturn on July 1, 2004, for a four-year mission to study the giant planet. But it's still sending back incredible photos.

The new aurora was discovered by Cassini's infrared instruments over an area of Saturn's north pole that astronomers thought would be empty. The blue aurora is caused by energetic particles crashing into the upper atmosphere.

"We've never seen an aurora like this elsewhere," said Tom Stallard, a scientist working with Cassini data at the University of Leicester, England.

Photo credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
Caption: Andy Smith/CNET News