Cassini Image: Getting Closer To Titan

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Carolina Martinez (818) 354-9382
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

Heidi Finn (720) 974-5859
Cassini Imaging Central Laboratory for Operations
Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colo.

Image Advisory: 2004-162 June 25, 2004

Getting Closer To Titan

Irregular bright and dark regions of yet unidentified composition and
character are becoming increasingly visible on Titan's surface as
Cassini approaches its scheduled first flyby of Saturn's largest moon
on July 2, 2004.

This view represents an improvement in resolution of nearly three
times over the previous Cassini images of Titan. Titan's surface is
difficult to study, veiled by a dense hydrocarbon haze that forms in
the high stratosphere as methane is destroyed by sunlight. This image
is different from previous Titan images by Cassini because it was
taken through a special filter, called a polarizer, which is designed
to see through the atmosphere to the surface.

Cassini will conduct a critical 96-minute burn before going into orbit
around Saturn on June 30 (July 1 Universal Time), with its first
scheduled flyby of Titan on July 2.

The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the
European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in
Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Office of
Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two
onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The
imaging team is based at the Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colo.

For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission, visit
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov and the Cassini imaging team home page,
http://ciclops.org .

Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

Does Titan have any detectable surface features?

T.

"Tequila" wrote in message
...
Does Titan have any detectable surface features?


Yes, that's what they are seeing in the pictures (ref the web link in the
original post). Infrared wavelengths can penetrate the atmospheric haze and
the markings are on the surface, not in the clouds. They also further
reduced the scattered light by using a polarizing filter.

This can also be done from the ground, but not with anything like this good
resolution.

--
Mike Dworetsky

(Remove "pants" spamblock to send e-mail)

"Mike Dworetsky" wrote in message
...


"Tequila" wrote in message
...
Does Titan have any detectable surface features?


Yes, that's what they are seeing in the pictures (ref the web link in the
original post). Infrared wavelengths can penetrate the atmospheric haze
and
the markings are on the surface, not in the clouds. They also further
reduced the scattered light by using a polarizing filter.

This can also be done from the ground, but not with anything like this
good
resolution.

--

IIRC, the only previously detected feature was a slightly brighter area in
the southern hemisphere, perhaps indicating high ground. By comparison, this
image is a major breakthrough.

Looks like Cassini's going to be a thrilling mission. Can't wait for Huygens
to do its stuff

Ian

Have astronomers agreed on a definition of
Titan's (surface feature) longitude?
If so, how was that done?
Voyager, Aricebo, ground telescopes?

In article ,
Tequila wrote:
Have astronomers agreed on a definition of
Titan's (surface feature) longitude?

:-) ....no.

If so, how was that done?
Voyager, Aricebo, ground telescopes?

Titan most likely has bound rotation relative to Saturn, as
does most other natural satellites in the solar system relative
to their respective primary planets. Thus a natural zero longitude
for Titan would be the longitude which, on the average, faces Saturn
most closely.




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