Cassini Completes Final Saturn's Moon Titan Flyby

NASA's Cassini spacecraft just made its 127th and final close approach to Saturn's moon Titan. It is now beginning its final 22 orbits around the gigantic ringed planet.

According to Phys.org, the Cassini spacecraft made its final close approach to Titan on April 22 at 2:08 a.m., at an altitude of about 608 miles above its surface. Cassini then transmitted images and other data to Earth after the encounter, which will be looked at by scientists investigating Titan. They will be looking into the images of Titan's hydrocarbon seas and lakes that spread across the moon's polar region. This flyby is the last dramatic act for Cassini before it starts its Grand finale.

Just as the spacecraft passed over Titan, the moon's gravity bent Cassini's path, then reshaped its orbit slightly. After the flyby, Cassini will begin a series of dives between the rings and the planet. The so-called "Grand Finale" will begin on April 26 and end on Sep. 15. At this point, the mission will conclude with Cassini plunging into Saturn's atmosphere.

Earl Maize, the Cassini project manager, said that the flyby caused the spacecraft to a ballistic path. This means that even if scientists forgo small adjustments using thrusthers, Cassini will sill enter Saturn's atmosphere on Sep. 15, no matter what.

However, Cassini did not only make a Titan flyby. It also came across Saturn's other moon Tethys, which showed its giant canyon snaking into darkness. Space.com noted that the canyon, known as Ithaca Chasma, is visible in an image from Cassini, teetering between the day side and night side of the moon.

The canyon is said to be up to 60 miles wide and runs nearly three-fourths of the way around Saturn's icy moon. NASA officials also noted in a statement that the canyon had a maximum depth of nearly 2.4 miles.