Pretty impressive activity this morning.  We may have had some good coronas here in Oslo or dancing curtains filling the entire sky, but it's been overcast for many days.

The Asteroid That Just Came Close to Earth Is So Huge It Has Its Own Moons

Wow closer than the one in 2012?

Somewhere in the US last night: Somewhere in Norway last night: US astronomers: "OMG!!! I think I just saw some aurora!!!!!11"
Norwegian astronomers: "dang!  Finally clear skies, and now this *** ruins it!"

ROTFL

The sun just had an X8.2 flare. Near the limb.

The sun just had an X8.2 flare. Near the limb.

Wow, I wonder why all these flares are occurring now?  Would this result in a stronger northern lights display than what we've seen already this week?

The last one is not directed towards Earth, but there might be some radio blackout currently.

The last one is not directed towards Earth, but there might be some radio blackout currently.

I see that being mentioned by some ham radio operators in England, but it looks like it came back after about 30min.

Cassini's mission is now over. The spacecraft has burnt up in Saturn's atmosphere to avoid polluting its moons with possible terrestrial life forms and plutonium.

Down this link are some of the last images taken.
https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/3120/c ... al-images/

Cassini's final resting place (IR image). Saturn will, for perhaps the first time ever, have Plutonium in it.

Cassini's final resting place (IR image). Saturn will, for perhaps the first time ever, have Plutonium in it.
21743577_1718637251504562_931808859064989679_o.jpg

Not really happy about the plutonium contamination- plutonium is the longest lasting toxic substance we know of.  I guess that's better than bringing it back here though.  I wish we hadn't used plutonium at all but I guess solar sail technology hasn't been perfected yet.

Not really happy about the plutonium contamination- plutonium is the longest lasting toxic substance we know of.

I doubt there is anything or anyone living in the clouds of Saturn that is going to care. 

Not really happy about the plutonium contamination- plutonium is the longest lasting toxic substance we know of.

I doubt there is anything or anyone living in the clouds of Saturn that is going to care. 

Still, there's the ethics of altering a planet from what it was.
That's why I was so curious about why they went to the trouble of ensuring no contamination to the moons- do they think there is life there?
Also, had Cassini been launched in this era instead of 20 years ago, would they have used solar sails instead of Plutonium?

That's why I was so curious about why they went to the trouble of ensuring no contamination to the moons- do they think there is life there?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interplanetary_contamination

had Cassini been launched in this era instead of 20 years ago, would they have used solar sails instead of Plutonium?

According to this, probably no:

NASA's current RTG design, known as the Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator, requires 10.6 lbs. (4.8 kg) of Pu-238. So, currently, the U.S. has enough Pu-238 to power just three or four more deep-space missions.