The Cassini spacecraft, which has been orbiting Saturn for the past 13 years, is running low on fuel. Scientists have directed it to crash into Saturn so they can control its final moments. Cassini will fall with its antenna facing away from the planet, and continue sending data to scientists as long as it can on its path towards Saturn. Prior to its final plummet Cassini will send its most recent collection of images to the Earth. NASA will be streaming these images as they arrive.

While Cassini collected data from many portions of our solar system, it spent most of its career studying Saturn. Cassini was able to collect a variety of detailed data on the planet, its rings and its moons. This included the discovery of six previously unknown moons: Methone, Pallene, Polydeuces, Daphnis, Anthe, and Aegeon.

The Cassini satellite is named after Giovanni Domenico Cassini, an Italian Astronomer who himself died on September 14th, 1712.