Saturn - Cassini-Huygens

We've learned about the first space exploration missions to Saturn, Pioneer 11 and Voyager 1 & 2.

On October 15 1997, we launched the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft.
After seven years it reached Saturn, and orbited the planet to take pictures of Saturn and it's moons like Titan.

We have learned a lot about Saturn from these pictures, including an interesting picture that showed a hexagon shape at the top of the planet.


(from: wikipedia - saturn's hexagon)

In 2004, the Cassini part of the spacecraft launched the Huygens probe to land on the moon Titan.
It landed on Titan and sent back some information about the surface along with some great pictures of things we've never been able to see before.


(from: wikipedia - huygens (spacecraft))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Galaxy

Saturn - Pioneer 11, Voyager 1 & 2

We've learned about space exploration of Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter.

Next up is Saturn!

On April 6, 1973 the Pioneer 11 spacecraft was launched into space. It took 6 years to get to Saturn. When it got there it flew very close and took pictures of the planet, the rings and moons.

On September 5, 1977 the Voyager spacecraft was launched into space. It took 3 years to get to Saturn and sent back very good pictures of the planet, it's rings and moons.
One of Saturn's moons called Titan is very interesting because it has air and water like earth.
The Voyager got very close to Titan, but the sky around it was cloudy so we could not take pictures.

On August 20, 1977 the Voyager 2 spacecraft was launched into space. It took 4 years to get to Saturn and sent back very good pictures of the rings, moon and planet.

On both of the Voyager spacecrafts was something called the Golden Record.
On one side of the record were pictures and the other side were sounds.
They hoped that if anyone ever found our spacecraft they would know that intelligent life was out in space.



(from: wikipedia - voyager golden record)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Planetary System

Saturn

Saturn is the 2nd largest planet in our solar system, right behind Jupiter.
It's 9 times bigger around than Earth.

(from: wikipedia - saturn)

We already learned about Saturn's 12 Rings.

Saturn is a gas giant just like Jupiter,
and just like Jupiter it has a really big moon that's bigger than Mercury

The moon Titan is a little less than half the size of Earth.

Saturn's Rings

Saturn has 12 rings, made up mostly of chunks of rock and ice.


(From: Wikipedia - rings of saturn)