Cassini radar peers through Titan clouds
Posted: Fri, Oct 29, 2004, 8:54 PM ET (0054 GMT)
Radar images from NASA's Cassini spacecraft have revealed that the surface of the moon Titan is complex and relatively young, scientists said Friday. Radar images of regions of Titan's northern hemisphere, taken by Cassini when it flew past the moon on Tuesday, discerned features as small as 300 meters across. Those images revealed a large, dark — and hence smooth — region that could be a lake, although scientists said there wasn't enough data to reach a firm conclusion. Both radar and optical images showed very few craters, suggesting that the surface is very young, perhaps because of volcanic or other geologic activity. Optical images showed streaks that could be related to moving ice sheets or flowing liquid hydrocarbons. Cassini is scheduled to make its next flyby of Titan on December 13; the European-built Huygens probe will enter Titan's atmosphere in mid-January.
Radar images from NASA's Cassini spacecraft have revealed that the surface of the moon Titan is complex and relatively young, scientists said Friday. Radar images of regions of Titan's northern hemisphere, taken by Cassini when it flew past the moon on Tuesday, discerned features as small as 300 meters across. Those images revealed a large, dark — and hence smooth — region that could be a lake, although scientists said there wasn't enough data to reach a firm conclusion. Both radar and optical images showed very few craters, suggesting that the surface is very young, perhaps because of volcanic or other geologic activity. Optical images showed streaks that could be related to moving ice sheets or flowing liquid hydrocarbons. Cassini is scheduled to make its next flyby of Titan on December 13; the European-built Huygens probe will enter Titan's atmosphere in mid-January.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Blue Origin describes plans for increased New Glenn launch rates
Posted: Sat, Oct 17 11:41 AM ET (1541 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Tuesday, October 20
A Mars-velous decade: Celebrating ten years of TGO
ESA — 5:27 am ET (0927 GMT) How US Satellites Became Crucial to Ukraine’s Defense
Bloomberg News — 5:26 am ET (0926 GMT) How to stop Putin’s missiles before they even leave Russia
Washington Post — 5:25 am ET (0925 GMT) Fire at Starlink Center in Lithuania Was Sabotage, Officials Say
New York Times — 5:25 am ET (0925 GMT) Space Forces Central Poised for ‘Fivefold’ Growth in Coming Years
Air and Space Forces Magazine — 5:22 am ET (0922 GMT) |
