The Cassini spacecraft has just successfully completed the first of three final close flybys of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, and has sent back some spectacular images of the northern regions of this icy and watery world, the best views ever seen so far. Two more upcoming flybys will dive back into the water vapor plumes at the south pole and measure how much heat is emanating from the tiny moon’s interior.
Read MoreCassini sends back spectacular new images of the north pole region of Enceladus
After a lull of several weeks, the downlinking of new data from the New Horizons spacecraft has begun, including stunning new images of Pluto and its largest moon, Charon, as well as a treasure trove of other scientific data. There is so much to come that it will take about one year to downlink everything from the spacecraft and send back to Earth. Those first amazing images of Pluto and its moons were only the beginning.
Read MoreHere it comes! massive downlink of Pluto data starts with spectacular new images
A bunch of amazing new Pluto images, released yesterday, July 24, including flowing nitrogen ice, similar to glaciers on Earth, and haze in Pluto’s atmosphere. A very alien world!
New colour and black & white images of Pluto and its largest moon Charon, taken by New Horizons on July 11 and 12, 2015. Much closer (and better) colour images are scheduled to be available tonight or tomorrow. As of this post, there are now less than 13 hours until closest approach!
This is the first colour photo of the dwarf planet Pluto and its largest moon Charon taken by the New Horizons spacecraft. It was taken on April 9, 2015, from a distance of about 71 million 115 million kilometers (71 million miles).
Read MoreImage Gallery: first colour photo of Pluto from New Horizons