Gallery: Cassini Is About to Taste the Huge Geysers of Enceladus

  • Image may contain Sphere Universe Space Astronomy Moon Night Outdoors Outer Space and Nature
    NASA/JPL-Caltech
    01

    pia20013niebur-1

    Geysers on Enceladus' south pole are fueled by the moon's subsurface ocean, which seems to have hydrothermal activity.
  • Image may contain Nature Pattern Ornament Outdoors Rug Soil Fractal Bird and Animal
    NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute
    02

    maize2

    The Cassini flyby, in red, will pass over the moon's characteristic "tiger stripes," where the plumes seem to originate.
  • Image may contain Universe Space Astronomy Night Outdoors Nature Outer Space Moon and Planet
    NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute
    03

    543564main-pia07800-full-full

    A wide view of Enceladus' long fractures.
  • Image may contain Light Flare Universe Space Astronomy Outer Space and Planet
    NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute
    04

    spilker3

    Water ice sprayed from the tiger stripes on Enceladus' south pole.
  • Image may contain Nature Outdoors and Mountain
    NASA/JPL-CALTECH/SPACE SCIENCE INSTITUTE
    05

    pia19660

    A long fracture on Enceladus' north pole, captured earlier this month.
  • Image may contain Texture
    NASA/JPL-CALTECH/SPACE SCIENCE INSTITUTE
    06

    N00249405

    Pockmarks riddle the north pole of Enceladus.
  • Image may contain Soil Sand Outdoors Nature Mud Ground and Rock
    NASA/JPL-CALTECH/SPACE SCIENCE INSTITUTE
    07

    N00249408

    More pockmarks and fractures.
  • Image may contain Nature Outdoors Snow Winter and Snowman
    NASA/JPL-CALTECH/SPACE SCIENCE INSTITUTE
    08

    pia20011

    Deep craters bubble together on the sunlit north pole of Enceladus.
Read More
The Dumbest Hack of the Year Exposed a Very Real Problem
Last April, a hacker hijacked crosswalk announcements to mimic Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. Records obtained by WIRED reveal how unprepared local authorities were.
Paresh Dave
AI Agents Are Coming for Your Dating Life
The developers of Pixel Societies are using AI agents to simulate social interactions. It's an attempt optimize the process of choosing new colleagues, friends, and even romantic partners.
Joel Khalili
The Audacity Is the Broligarchy Takedown You Were Waiting For
AMC’s new black comedy about a manchild tech titan spinning out of control is a skewering Silicon Valley’s billionaire class deserves.
Miles Klee
A Lot of Shops Won't Fix Electric Bikes. Here's Why
Bike shop mechanics have lost fingers and their shirts while repairing ebikes of dubious origins. Make sure yours is repairable and third-party certified.
Stephanie Pearson
It’s a Tablet! It’s a Laptop! After Testing the Best 2-in-1s, Here’s What I Recommend
Whether you want a detachable tablet or a laptop screen that spins, these 2-in-1 devices manage to balance being both a tablet and a laptop.
Luke Larsen
There’s a Secret Ingredient to Making Luxury Ice at Home
Nice ice is big business, but you can get perfectly clear cubes at home without freezing your assets.
Jeremy White
The Screenmaxxers Who Spend Every Waking Hour on Their Phones
As debates over social media addiction rage, people with extreme screen times tell WIRED they have no plans to cut back.
Miles Klee
Mammotion’s Spino E1 Pool Cleaner Isn’t Bad for the Price—It's Just Not That Good
This compact pool robot keeps its price down, but its performance doesn’t match that of more capable cleaners.
Christopher Null
The Best Coffee Mug Warmers Are Smart. But They Don’t Need an App
The first rule of coffee is that it must stay hot. After weeks or even years of testing, these are the three coffee warmers that will best keep it that way.
Matthew Korfhage
Crimson Desert Is a Cat Dad Simulator
Step into the shoes of the strongest, goodest boy in a game that is beautiful, baffling, and impossible to put down.
This At-Home Hair Color Printer Raised My Blood Pressure
This hair dye printer promises hundreds of shades. It couldn't even manage two.
Louryn Strampe
I Tested the MacBook Neo and the MacBook Air. Here's Which One You Should Buy
After conducting long-term testing on both the MacBook Neo and MacBook Air, I have a good idea who should buy which laptop.
Luke Larsen