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Collection:
NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection Collection NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection Collection
Title:
Detecting Lightning From Saturn Title Detecting Lightning From Saturn Title
Original Caption Released with Image:
This artist concept shows how Cassini is able to detect radio signals from lightning on Saturn. Lightning strokes emit electromagnetic energy across a broad range of wavelengths, including the visual wavelengths we see and long radio wavelengths that cause static on an AM radio during a thunderstorm. Some of the radio waves propagate upwards and can be detected at long distances by the radio and plasma wave science instrument on Cassini. One barrier to the radio waves, however, is Saturn's ionosphere, a hot, ionized layer above the atmosphere that can block low frequency radio waves. The low frequency waves are either reflected or absorbed by the ionosphere. The higher frequency waves can pass right through the ionosphere, however, and subsequently be detected by Cassini. By measuring the lowest frequencies that can be detected by Cassini, scientists can determine the density of Saturn's ionosphere. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The radio and plasma wave science team is based at the University of Iowa, Iowa City. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission, visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov and the instrument team's home page, http://www-pw.physics.uiowa.edu/plasma-wave/cassini/home.html. Original_Caption_Rel eased_with_Image This artist concept shows how Cassini is able to detect radio signals from lightning on Saturn. Lightning strokes emit electromagnetic energy across a broad range of wavelengths, including the visual wavelengths we see and long radio wavelengths that cause static on an AM radio during a thunderstorm. Some of the radio waves propagate upwards and can be detected at long distances by the radio and plasma wave science instrument on Cassini. One barrier to the radio waves, however, is Saturn's ionosphere, a hot, ionized layer above the atmosphere that can block low frequency radio waves. The low frequency waves are either reflected or absorbed by the ionosphere. The higher frequency waves can pass right through the ionosphere, however, and subsequently be detected by Cassini. By measuring the lowest frequencies that can be detected by Cassini, scientists can determine the density of Saturn's ionosphere. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The radio and plasma wave science team is based at the University of Iowa, Iowa City. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission, visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov and the instrument team's home page, http://www-pw.physics.uiowa.edu/plasma-wave/cassini/home.html. Original Caption Released with Image
Image Credit:
NASA/JPL/University of Iowa Image_Credit NASA/JPL/University of Iowa Image Credit
Produced By:
JPL Produced_By JPL Produced By
Mission:
Cassini Mission Cassini Mission
Spacecraft:
Cassini Orbiter Spacecraft Cassini Orbiter Spacecraft
Target Name:
Saturn Target_Name Saturn Target Name
Is a satellite of:
Sol (our sun) Is_a_satellite_of Sol (our sun) Is a satellite of
Instrument:
Radio and Plasma Wave Science Instrument Instrument Radio and Plasma Wave Science Instrument Instrument
Product Size:
720 samples x 540 lines Product_Size 720 samples x 540 lines Product Size
Primary Data Set:
Cassini Primary_Data_Set Cassini Primary Data Set
facet_what:
Sun facet_what Sun facet_what
facet_what:
Saturn facet_what Saturn facet_what
facet_what:
Cassini facet_what Cassini facet_what
facet_what:
Cassini Orbiter facet_what Cassini Orbiter facet_what
facet_what:
Huygens Probe facet_what Huygens Probe facet_what
facet_what:
Cassini-Huygens facet_what Cassini-Huygens facet_what
facet_what:
Radio and Plasma Wave Science Instrument facet_what Radio and Plasma Wave Science Instrument facet_what
facet_where:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory facet_where Jet Propulsion Laboratory facet_where
facet_where:
Saturn facet_where Saturn facet_where
facet_where:
California facet_where California facet_where
facet_where:
Washington facet_where Washington facet_where
facet_where:
Iowa facet_where Iowa facet_where
facet_where:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) facet_where Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) facet_where
facet_where:
Washington, D.C. facet_where Washington, D.C. facet_where
Image #:
PIA06414 Image_# PIA06414 Image #
UID:
SPD-PHOTJ-PIA06414 UID SPD-PHOTJ-PIA06414 UID
orignial url:
http://photojournal… orignial_url http://photojournal… orignial url

Detecting Lightning From Saturn

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Detecting Lightning From Saturn