Incredible! NASA's Cassini reveals new images of strange texture in Saturn rings

Washington, June 18: As NASA's Cassini went close to Saturn before destroying itself in a blaze of glory on September 15, 2017, after 20 years in space, the spacecraft provided images which had detailed description on the workings of Saturn's complex rings. And yet, two years later, astronomers are still making groundbreaking discoveries in Cassini's treasure trove of collected data.

In a new blog post, a team of international researchers, including scientists in the UK, have revealed interesting new findings that scientists are discovering in Cassini's data. Specifically, the spacecraft's observations are yielding new detail on the structure of Saturn's iconic rings, as well as the dramatic differences from one ring to the next.

The images was revealed by NASA's Cassini probe, which ended its mission in September 2017 by plunging into Saturn after more than 20 years in space.

The results demonstrate how unusual combinations of masses, shapes and textures lurk in Saturn's rings and are affecting the way they are shaped.

Scientists think that the rings contain tiny moons, which cause materials to cluster and form visible clumps. The study has also proposed a number of streaks in the outer edge of Saturn's rings were caused when a cluster of Saturn-orbiting rocks struck simultaneously.

The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Italian Space Agency. JPL, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. JPL designed, developed and assembled the Cassini orbiter. The radio antenna was built by JPL and the Italian Space Agency, working with team members from the U.S. and several European countries.