Saturn Throws a Curve Ball

May 2, 2016
Language
  • english

These are the radio sounds of Saturn's rotation and the first sounds of Saturn from the Cassini mission. On approach to Saturn, data obtained by the Cassini spacecraft posed a puzzling question: How long is the day on Saturn? Cassini took readings that indicate a day on Saturn is 10 hours, 45 minutes, 45 seconds. But this is about six minutes longer than data recorded by Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, which flew by Saturn in 1980 and 1981. Scientists are looking for an explanation to how the rotation deep inside Saturn drives the radio pulse.