Identification of a Dynamic Atmosphere at Enceladus with the Cassini Magnetometer

The Cassini magnetometer has detected the interaction of the magnetospheric plasma of Saturn with an atmospheric plume at the icy moon Enceladus. This unanticipated finding, made on a distant flyby, was subsequently confirmed during two follow-on flybys, one very close to Enceladus. The magnetometer...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science
Main Authors: Dougherty, M. K., Khurana, K. K., Neubauer, F. M., Russell, C. T., Saur, J., Leisner, J. S., Burton, M. E.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2006
Subjects:
South Pole
South pole
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1120985
https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.1120985
Description
Summary:The Cassini magnetometer has detected the interaction of the magnetospheric plasma of Saturn with an atmospheric plume at the icy moon Enceladus. This unanticipated finding, made on a distant flyby, was subsequently confirmed during two follow-on flybys, one very close to Enceladus. The magnetometer data are consistent with local outgassing activity via a plume from the surface of the moon near its south pole, as confirmed by other Cassini instruments.

Similar Items