Cassini data show Enceladus and rotation disturb Saturn's magnetic field
Technology
Scientists just found out Saturn's magnetic field is not as smooth as we thought.
Thanks to six years of Cassini spacecraft data, researchers say the planet's fast rotation and its icy moon Enceladus (which sprays water from its hidden ocean) are shaking things up.
Cassini records 67 Saturn cusp crossings
Unlike Earth, Saturn's magnetic "hotspot" sits at a weird angle: think 1 or 3 o'clock instead of straight up at 12.
This changes how it deals with solar wind and could impact future missions, especially those hunting for signs of life on Enceladus and the Saturnian system.
The study spotted 67 moments where Cassini passed through Saturn's magnetic cusp, with Enceladus a key driver of Saturn's environment, giving us fresh clues about how these distant worlds work together.