Cassini Project Scientist Linda Spilker’s Last Appearance Before the Grand Finale

It’s the Grandest Finale. The spectacular Cassini mission’s exploration of Saturn will end on September 15th when the spacecraft plunges into the planet. Cassini Project Scientist Linda Spilker is back with one last mission update. Mat also announces a live Cassini celebration on the evening of September 18, 2017. Bruce Betts and Mat Kaplan are back from the Great American Eclipse’s path of totality with another What’s Up segment and a new space trivia contest that features the eclipse.

Related Links:

• September 18, 2017 Live Celebration: “Destined to Crash: Cassini's Grand Finale”
• Cassini: The Grand Finale
• The 2017 North American Total Solar Eclipse
• Southern Illinois University Carbondale Eclipse Website
• Chop Shop Planetary Society Store
• Why Cassini Matters
• A Guide to Cassini's Remaining Orbits

This week's prizes are the brand new Chop Shop-designed Planetary Radio t-shirt, a 200-point iTelescope.net astronomy account, and a 2017 Great American Eclipse commemorative shot glass.

This week's question:

To within a minute, what is the longest possible time of totality for a solar eclipse seen from Earth?

To submit your answer:

Complete the contest entry form at http://planetary.org/radiocontest or write to us at [email protected] no later than Wednesday, August 30th at 8am Pacific Time. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.

Last week's question:

What is the funny word used when three celestial bodies are lined up, as in an eclipse? It’s not “stooges.”

Answer:

The answer will be revealed next week.

Question from the week before:

When is the next total solar eclipse on Earth after the one on August 21, 2017?

Answer:

The next total solar eclipse will be on July 2, 2019, and will cross Argentina and Chile.