Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Cassini's Final Image

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for September 16, 2017 is “Cassini's Final Image,” an image. It is credited to Image Credit: NASA , JPL-Caltech , Space Science Institute. The original explanation runs about 139 words.

Cassini's Final Image
Credit: Image Credit: NASA , JPL-Caltech , Space Science Institute Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“As planned, the Cassini spacecraft impacted the upper atmosphere of Saturn on September 15, after a 13 year long exploration of the Saturnian System . With spacecraft thrusters firing until the end, its atmospheric entry followed an unprecedented series of 22 Grand Finale dives between Saturn and rings.”

— APOD editors, September 16, 2017

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
September 16, 2017
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit: NASA , JPL-Caltech , Space Science Institute
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 139 words

All of September 2017 → · 2017 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

Topics in this entry

Saturn

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: September 16 in other years

On Amazon

Popular picks for space fans

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Electronics Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 32GB Read astronomy and space-history books anywhere. View on Amazon → Electronics Bose QuietComfort Wireless Headphones Noise-cancelling headphones for documentaries and launch livestreams. View on Amazon →

Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.