The gas planets
The scientific activities currently in progress, related to the study of the giant planets, are closely linked to the results of the most recent exploratory space missions.
Jupiter and the origin of the giant planets. The study of the origin of Jupiter and the other gas giants involves the application of the planetary formation models developed by INAF-IASF, described previously.
Saturn and its moons. The study of Saturn and its satellite and ring systems, with particular attention to Titan, naturally makes use of the data obtained by the Cassini-Huygens mission. During the mission, the VIMS spectrometer, one of the Italian instruments, turned out to be one of the key instruments, able to determine the composition of the rings and atmosphere of Saturn, as well as determine local variations in the surface composition of its satellites and relate them to geological surface features.
