[U] "A Gazing Out, From Far Away... Alone." An Irish Poet's Prescient Verses...

Believing that less is more -- at a time like this (a handful of hours from now) -- we will lay rest to longer strokes on our keyboard, and just sit a moment under the dawn's canopy of stars. And we will look with awe, toward the spot above Saturn -- where Cassini will soon. . . flamed out.

In fact, we will still be receiving transmissions, for 83 minutes after she's gone. It will take that long for the last of the radio waves to reach us here at the dish, in Australia, after she's sprinted into shattered bits, giving her last full measure of devotion, to advancing science. So thank you, sweet Cassini -- oh you, gossamer thing of unwasted grace.

. . . .And after the commanded journey, what?

Nothing magnificent, nothing unknown.

A gazing out from far away, alone.

And it is not particular at all,

Just old truth dawning: there is no next-time-round. . . .

Seamus Heaney, that giant of Irish poems may just as well have been speaking of. . . the swift, lithe, copper-hued Cassini, lo' these 13 years, a shepherded moon-lette, of sorts. [Though cousin Seamus is in need of a smallish revision (as it pertains to Cassini, at least): far from "nothing left unknown" -- yes, so much still to discover -- to explore; to probe; to taste and see. Smile.]

Enjoy your return to primordial star stuff, now Cassini -- as you are heated, and then incinerated down into simpler bits -- primarily atoms of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen once more -- under the crushing atmospheric pressures and friction, of mighty Lord Saturn.

We do thank you for opening our eyes -- to a wide array of new planetary science wonders, over this last decade.

नमस्ते