NASA Cassini Spacecraft Makes Close Flyby of Saturn's Moon, Dione, Today

NASA's Cassini spacecraft is set to make its last close flyby of Saturn's moon, Dione. Today, it will zip past the moon and gather data as it continues on its mission.

Cassini's closest approach, which will be within 295 miles of Dione's surface, will occur at 2:33 p.m. EDT. Mission controllers expect fresh images of the moon to begin arriving on Earth within just a couple days following the encounter.

During the flyby, the spacecraft's cameras and spectrometers will get a high-resolution peek at Dione's north pole at a resolution of only a few feet. In addition, Cassini's Composite Infrared Spectrometer instrument will map areas on the icy moon that have unusual thermal anomalies-those regions are especially good at trapping heat.

During the flyby, Cassini's cameras and spectrometers will get a high-resolution peek at Dione's north pole at a resolution of only a few feet. In addition, Cassini's Composite Infrared Spectrometer instrument will map areas on the icy moon that have unusual thermal anomalies.

This isn't the first time that Cassini has flown close to Dione, though. This flyby will be the fifth targeted encounter with Dione during Cassini's tour of Saturn.

"This will be our last chance to see Dione up close for many years to come," said Scott Edington, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Cassini has provided insights into this icy moon's mysteries, along with a rich data set and host of new questions for scientists to ponder."

The findings that Cassini sends back may reveal a bit more about Saturn and one of its many moons.

For more information about the mission, visit NASA's website.

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