Scientists examining data from the Cassini-Huygens mission have identified an unexpected feature in the structure of Saturn's protective magnetic bubble.
The finding supports the idea that giant planets such as Saturn have magnetospheres that behave very differently from Earth's.
The research, published in Nature Communications, includes Dr. Licia Ray and Dr. Sarah Badman of Lancaster University, along with Dr. Chris Arridge, formerly of Lancaster.
Cassini was designed to investigate Saturn and the wider Saturn system, including its rings, natural satellites and surrounding space environment. The mission was a collaboration involving NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian space agency (ASI). Cassini orbited Saturn from 2004 to 2017.
Saturn's Rapid Rotation Changes the Picture
