By | April 29, 2017 07:00am ET
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Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Cassini’s ‘Grand Finale’
On April 26, 2017, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft swooped through the space between Saturn and its rings. Click through this slideshow to see the first photos from the epic encounter. [Full Story ]
Pictured here: An artist’s impression of Cassini’s “Grand Finale” orbits.
Up first: Giant hurricane on Saturn
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Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute
‘Giant Hurricane’ on Saturn
As Cassini captured the closest views of Saturn yet, it spotted a swirling storm in the planet’s atmosphere that NASA calls a “giant hurricane.” [Read more ]
Up next: Saturn’s cloudy streaks
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Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute
Saturn’s Cloudy Streaks
This raw image from Cassini’s close swoop shows streaked features and wispy clouds in Saturn’s atmosphere. It is the closest view of Saturn that any spacecraft has ever achieved. [Cassini Spacecraft’s Ring Dive Yields Saturn Surprises ]
Up next: Saturn’s Swirly Atmosphere
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Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute
Saturn’s Swirly Atmosphere
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Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Mission Control
In the mission control room at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, Cassini team members cheered as they received first signal from the spacecraft after it plunged between Saturn and its rings. [Video: Mission Control Celebrates ]
Up next: Cassini’s All-Stars
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Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Cassini’s All-Stars
Cassini team gathered in the Von Karman Auditorium at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory as they waited for a signal from the spacecraft.
Up next: Lucky peanuts
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Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Lucky Peanuts
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Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Cassini Virtual Singers
The Cassini Virtual Singers, a group of musically inclined Cassini scientists, performed spaced-out parodies of popular tunes while NASA waited to hear from the Cassini spacecraft.
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