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The Top Ten Scientific Discoveries of the Decade
Breakthroughs include measuring the true nature of the universe, finding new species of human ancestors, and unlocking new ways to fight disease
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First Global Map of Saturn’s Moon Titan Reveals Secrets of Earth’s ‘Deranged’ Twin
The map showcases the planet’s flat plains, sand dunes, hilly terrain and lakes full of liquid methane
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Researchers Discovered 20 Tiny New Moons Circling Saturn
The ringed planet now takes Jupiter’s title for the planet with the most moons
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New Organic Compounds Found in Plumes From Saturn’s Icy Moon Enceladus
Analysis of data from the late, great Cassini spacecraft reveals the moon is spurting oxygen and nitrogen-bearing organic compounds into space
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NASA’s Dragonfly Mission Will Fly Through the Clouds of Titan, Saturn’s Biggest Moon
Over the course of its initial 2.7-year mission exploring Titan, the dual-quadcopter will fly a combined total of more than 108 miles
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We Finally Know How Long a Day on Saturn Is
By studying oscillations in the planet’s iconic rings, researchers have determined it takes Saturn 10 hours, 33 minutes and 38 seconds to rotate once
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Saturn’s Rings Rain Organic Compounds Into Its Atmosphere
The Cassini probe’s final flybys show that 22,000 pounds of material per second drops from the rings into the planet’s ionosphere
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Some of Earth’s Deep Sea Microbes Could Survive on Saturn’s Moon
A methane-producing archaea survived simulations of Enceladus’ extreme conditions, hinting at the possibility of similar extraterrestrial life
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NASA Unveils Finalists for Its Next New Frontiers Mission
In 2025, the agency will either try to grab a piece of a comet or send a space-helicopter drone to the surface of Saturn’s moon Titan
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Shadows of Saturn’s Rings Mess With Its Upper Atmosphere
The Cassini probe’s final swoops through the rings found that they impact the planet’s ionosphere
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Dinosaurs Were Around Before Saturn Had Rings
Data from the Cassini space probe suggests that the rings may be as young as 150 million years old
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How Scientists Engineered Cassini’s Final Demise
After a rich scientific life, Cassini went out in a blaze, becoming one with the planet it had revolved around for so long
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What Cassini’s Daring Dives Have Taught Us About Saturn
Before the probe’s final plunge into Saturn’s atmosphere, here’s a look back at what we’ve learned so far
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Celebrate Cassini’s Historic Voyage in Eight Incredible Images
After 13 years of exploration, one of NASA’s most successful probes will crash into Saturn’s atmosphere
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Potential Ingredients for Life Found on Saturn’s Moon Titan
But that life likely wouldn’t look like what we’re used to here on Earth
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Cassini Survives Its Daredevil Plunge Toward Saturn
The craft’s first date with the “big empty” went off without a hitch
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How and When Did Saturn Get Those Magnificent Rings?
The planet’s rings are coy when it comes to revealing their age, but astronomers are getting closer
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Cassini Sends Back First Images From Its Saturn Dives
The stream of raw images include new pictures of the strange hexagonal storm swirling around its north pole
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The spacecraft is out of contact as it begins a series of dramatic orbits between Saturn and its rings
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NASA Detects Microbe-Friendly Food Spouting From Saturn’s Moon Enceladus
The Cassini spacecraft has detected the ingredients for life in sprays from the icy world
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