Today is a genuinely emotional day for the astronomy community. After 13 remarkable years orbiting Saturn, the Cassini spacecraft has intentionally plunged into the gas giant's crushing atmosphere, burning up like a meteor to ensure the pristine moons of Enceladus and Titan remain uncontaminated.



Cassini was arguably one of the most successful robotic explorers ever built. It completely rewrote our understanding of the Saturnian system, discovered liquid hydrocarbon lakes on Titan, flew through the watery plumes of Enceladus, and returned hundreds of thousands of breathtaking photographs. It is a bittersweet farewell, but what a magnificent, scientifically rich legacy it leaves behind.