We just launched GIVE ME A Ring SOMETIME which depicts Saturn and her moons, to coincide (or in this case it might be more fitting to say collide!) with The Grand Finale of NASA's Cassini mission which began 13 years ago, to study the mighty planet and her famous rings, ending this week.
The Grand Finale is a rather tragically romantic (if not violent and explosive) ending to the mission, set to take place this Friday, which will see the Cassini probe be propelled directly into the planet, tearing it to shreds and melting it's components, which means that the giant body which it has studied for so long and its reason for being, will also be the source of it's destruction too. Harsh but sort of beautiful!
With its intricate ring system and entourage of 62 orbiting moons, Saturn is one of the stars of the solar system (we're talking figuratively. It's not literally a star).
GIVE ME A RING SOMETIME (£34) shows the Big 7 of these orbiters: from the closest to Saturn, Mimas through to the Iapetus, orbiting at a distance of 3.5 million km.
Mimas, the smallest of the major moons: Hematite
Enceladus, the moon most likely to harbour life: Rose Quartz
Tethys, composed almost entirely of water-ice: White Jade
Dione, the fourth largest satellite of Saturn: White Jade
Rhea, found to have an Oxygen atmosphere by Cassini in 2010: Rose Quartz
Titan, the largest of the Saturn satellites: Tiger Eye
Iapetus, with its two sides: Amber
Lined up in a orbital-formation, these gemstone moons are finished with a brass Saturn and a solo shining star. Suspended from a brass chain, the overall length measures 18" long.
Fun Fact! Titan, the largest of Saturn's moons (and the second largest moon in the solar system), makes up 96% of the mass orbiting the planet. And it is also Titan who will seal Cassini's fiery fate, as it is it's gravitational pull that has been utilised to control all the probe's major movements, including this final one which will chuck it into Saturn's atmosphere - farewell Cassini! Follow the groundbreaking mission's final hours here.
