The NASA Cassini space probe has dived through the narrow gap between Saturn and its icy rings and started sending data back to Earth.
NASA's Cassini spacecraft has entered the final chapter of its mission. Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech
The probe is traveling at over 100-thousand kilometres an hour -- so quickly it would take just 20 minutes to orbit the Earth.
Professor Andrew Coates from University College London has previously worked with the Cassini space probe and told Morning Report the first images and data started coming back about 12 hours ago and show the closest view of the polar regions of Saturn.
An image sent from the Cassini space probe dives through narrow gap between Saturn & its icy rings Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute
Images taken by NASA's Cassini space probe, the closest pictures ever taken of the gas planet Saturn. Photo: NASA
Images taken by NASA's Cassini space probe, the closest pictures ever taken of the gas planet Saturn. Photo: NASA
"I think some the more exciting data is testing what the atmosphere of Saturn and what the ring atmosphere is actually like."
"There will be other interesting images as well, so also looking at structures in the rings which are so-called propellers on those little moons - we think - on those rings, which should be possible to see.
"But also looking at these storms and so-on with images.
Cassini will self-destruct in September by plunging into Saturn's atmosphere, concluding its 20-year mission.
Here are some more images the probe has sent back:
This animated GIF built with unprocessed raw images show's Cassini close pass by Saturn's moon Atlas. Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute
This view looks toward the unilluminated side of the rings from about 7 degrees below the ring plane. The image was taken in green light with the Cassini spacecraft wide-angle camera on Jan. 18, 2017. Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute
