Consider the following statements: 1. Saturn is the most oblate plane...
Oblate means the equatorial diameter is longer than the polar diameter, which is more for Saturn than other planets. Cassini-Huygens spacecraft was launched to Saturn in 1997 and arrived there in 2004. It will be deorbited in September 2017.
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Consider the following statements: 1. Saturn is the most oblate plane...
Statement 1: Saturn is the most oblate planet in the Solar system.
Statement 2: Cassini is the first probe to enter the orbit of Saturn.
Explanation:
The given question is about two statements related to Saturn and its exploration.
Statement 1: Saturn is the most oblate planet in the Solar system.
Saturn is known for its unique ring system, but it is also known for its oblate shape. Oblate refers to the fact that the planet is not a perfect sphere, but rather flattened at the poles and bulging at the equator. This is due to the fast rotation of the planet, which causes it to flatten at the poles and bulge at the equator. Saturn's equatorial diameter is about 9.4 times larger than its polar diameter, making it the most oblate planet in the Solar system. Therefore, statement 1 is correct.
Statement 2: Cassini is the first probe to enter the orbit of Saturn.
The Cassini-Huygens mission was a joint effort between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The mission consisted of two main components: the Cassini spacecraft and the Huygens probe. The Cassini spacecraft was launched in 1997 and reached Saturn in 2004. It entered the orbit of Saturn and began studying the planet and its moons in detail. The Huygens probe, which was carried by the Cassini spacecraft, successfully landed on Saturn's moon, Titan, in 2005.
However, it is important to note that Cassini was not the first probe to enter the orbit of Saturn. The first probe to enter the orbit of Saturn was the Pioneer 11 spacecraft, which was launched by NASA in 1973. Pioneer 11 flew by Saturn in 1979 and provided valuable data about the planet and its rings. Therefore, statement 2 is incorrect.
Conclusion:
Based on the explanations above, we can conclude that statement 1 is correct, but statement 2 is incorrect. Therefore, the correct answer is option 'C' - Both 1 and 2.