Launched in 1997, NASA and ESA's Cassini-Huygens spacecraft entered orbit around Saturn in 2004. The Huygens probe landed on the surface of Titan, Saturn's largest moon in 2005. Close flybys of some of the large moons of Saturn revealed remarkable surface forms and activity, suggesting environments conducive to the development of life. At our January 15th meeting, Bernard Bopp, Professor of Astronomy emeritus, will talk about this mission and what we learned from it. He will highlight four moons: Titan, Enceladus, Dione, and Tethys, describing their surfaces, compositions, and their truly remarkable geological features. The Cassini-Huygens mission was successful beyond all expectations! Come hear Bernie give us his perspective on this and future exploration of the Saturn system.
At the meeting we will also have a slide show of the month's astrophotos from other EAS members.
The meeting is at 7:00 on Thursday, January 15th at the Eugene Science Center planetarium, 2300 Leo Harris Parkway in Eugene (behind Autzen Stadium).
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