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NASA's Cassini Spacecraft Prepares For Final Flyby Of Saturn's Moon

By R. Siva Kumar | Update Date: Dec 18, 2015 11:25 AM EST

There is one spacecraft that is orbiting Saturn at present. NASA's Cassini spacecraft.

Its schedule is busy, as it is geared to go on its final close flyby of Enceladus, Saturn's ocean-bearing moon. The date and time are Dec. 19 at 9:49 a.m. PST (12:49 p.m. EST), according to a press release.

 "The goal of the upcoming flyby is to measure the heat making its way through the ice from the moon's interior, which is integral in understanding the driving forces behind the gas and icy particles that continue to spray from its subsurface ocean," according to HNGN.

Later, it will gather information on the moon from a greater distance.

"Understanding how much warmth Enceladus has in its heart provides insight into its remarkable geologic activity, and that makes this last close flyby a fantastic scientific opportunity," said Linda Spilker, a Cassini project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Even though the distance of 3,106 miles (4,999 kilometers) is not too close, it will help for its Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) instrument to gather accurate heat flow measurements.

"The distance of this flyby is in the sweet spot for us to map the heat coming from within Enceladus - not too close, and not too far away. It allows us to map a good portion of the intriguing south polar region at good resolution," said Mike Flasar, CIRS team lead at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

Taking place in the southern hemisphere's winter cycle will help, as the lack of sunlight would enable the "detection and differentiation of heat", according to Gizmag.

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