Two days ago, the Cassini spacecraft completed its deepest dive ever toward Saturn's moon, Enceladus. The probe passed over the south polar region at a distance of only 30 miles. During the flyby it took samples of the plumes which have been observed on Enceladus for years. It'll take several weeks to complete the analyses but it should give researchers some clues to the composition of the global ocean beneath the surface.
On its next and final flyby in December, Cassini will measure the amount of heat coming from the moon's interior. Enceladus could be a future target for exploration in search of habitable environments beyond Earth.
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