The Cassini research spacecraft observed lightning in Saturn's atmosphere, and now NASA scientists hope to use the same method that diagnosed these lightnings
26.7.2004
The Cassini research spacecraft observed lightning in Saturn's atmosphere, and now NASA scientists hope to use the same method by which these lightning were detected, to locate lightning on the largest moon around Saturn, Titan, during the month of October, when the conditions for this will be optimal, probably around the 26th of the month.
The lightning discovered could shed additional light on the star's atmosphere. One of the mission's chief scientists, Filipa Zorka, told the Space Research Council: "We noticed a number of storms and used our means to try to trace their roots, and we have confirmation that what we did find in the tests is lightning."
The diagnosis was made based on photographs taken at the most optimal time point of the research spacecraft on July 1, and a radiation belt around Saturn's rings was also diagnosed. The main radiation of the star extended even outside the ring system. The new belt is inside the rings and continues around the star itself. "This will give us an excellent indication of whether there is lightning on Titan as well," Zorka added.
