Cassini/Huygens Mission Update Thread Pt. 2

[toymaker]

OMG-amazing -Is there any chance of seeing this photo in colour ?

 

[telfrow]

Maybe swampcat or rlb2 could try. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> So far, nothing on the mission site. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font color="#3366ff">Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yeild.</font> - <font color="#3366ff"><em>Tennyson</em></font></strong> </div>

 

[Swampcat]

<font color="yellow">"Is there any chance of seeing this photo in colour ?"</font><br /><br />I took a look at this and decided that it would be very difficult to do. Apparently, they took a series of about a dozen each of RED, GRN and BL1 filter images over time, so it would appear possible. The problem is that the camera was aimed at Titan while Saturn moves through the field of view and there is a fair amount of offset between the filter images. If it weren't for Titan's clouds fuzzing things up I could still manage, but getting each RGB composite of Saturn registered through Titan's clouds is a bit beyond my capability.<br /><br />Sorry <img src="/images/icons/frown.gif" />. I would like to see that sequence as well. I hope someone else can do it. Or give me suggestions on how I might do it. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="3" color="#ff9900"><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong><em>------------------------------------------------------------------- </em></strong></font></p><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong><em>"I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical. Unsuccessful rebellions, indeed, generally establish the encroachments on the rights of the people which have produced them. An observation of this truth should render honest republican governors so mild in their punishment of rebellions as not to discourage them too much. It is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government."</em></strong></font></p><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong>Thomas Jefferson</strong></font></p></font> </div>

 

[chew_on_this]

A little humour from CICLOPS:<br /><br /><br />http://ciclops.org/view.php?id=1596<br />

 

[telfrow]

Raw image: <i>W00012783.jpg was taken on December 31, 2005 and received on Earth January 01, 2006. The camera was pointing toward PANDORA at approximately 2,421,936 kilometers away, and the image was taken using the CL1 and CL2 filters. This image has not been validated or calibrated. </i><br /><br /> Link <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font color="#3366ff">Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yeild.</font> - <font color="#3366ff"><em>Tennyson</em></font></strong> </div>

 

[telfrow]

<b>Science or abstract art? Or both?</b> <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />Raw image: <i>N00047487.jpg was taken on December 31, 2005 and received on Earth December 31, 2005. The camera was pointing toward POLYDEUCES, and the image was taken using the CL1 and CL2 filters. This image has not been validated or calibrated. </i><br /><br /> Link <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font color="#3366ff">Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yeild.</font> - <font color="#3366ff"><em>Tennyson</em></font></strong> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

All the recent images are absolutely astounding. I hope one day they produce a colour coffee table style book with all the best images so we can marvel at them all at leisure. I am sure such a book would sell like hot cakes. We really do need similar missions to Uranus and Neptune! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[alokmohan]

We may await next alignment.

 

[Leovinus]

<i>Tethys floats before the massive, golden-hued globe of Saturn in this natural color view. The thin, dark line of the rings curves around the horizon at top.<br /><br />Visible on Tethys (1,071 kilometers, or 665 miles across) are the craters Odysseus (top) and Melanthius (bottom). The view looks toward the anti-Saturn side of Tethys.<br /><br />Images taken using red, green and blue spectral filters were combined to create this color view. Tethys is apparently darker than Saturn at these wavelengths. The edge of the planet appears fuzzy, which may indicate that we are seeing haze layers that are separated from the main cloud deck.<br /><br />The images were acquired by the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Dec. 3, 2005, at a distance of approximately 2.5 million kilometers (1.6 million miles) from Saturn. The image scale is 15 kilometers (9 miles) per pixel on Saturn and 13 kilometers (8 miles) per pixel on Tethys. </i> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

<i>After journeying a bit more than an hour across the Solar System, bright sunlight reflects off the gleaming icy cliffs in the wispy terrain of Dione and is captured by the Cassini spacecraft's cameras several light seconds later.<br /><br />Saturn's ringplane is here tilted slightly toward the Cassini spacecraft and is bisected by the planet's dark shadow stretching across the rings.<br /><br />This view looks toward the Saturn-facing hemisphere on Dione (1,126 kilometers, or 700 miles across).<br /><br />The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Dec. 3, 2005, at a distance of approximately 2.8 million kilometers (1.7 million miles) from Dione and at a Sun-Dione-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 104 degrees. Resolution in the original image was 17 kilometers (11 miles) per pixel on Dione. The image has been magnified by a factor of two and contrast-enhanced to aid visibility. </i> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

!!!!!!!<br /><br />Words escape me! That Tethys photo is sublime!<br /><br />!!!!!!! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[rhodan]

Breathtaking indeed! <img src="/images/icons/shocked.gif" />

 

[Leovinus]

I think that is the best photo so far for demonstrating the thickness (or lack thereof) of the rings. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

<i>In this magnificent view, delicate haze layers high in the atmosphere encircle the oblate figure of Saturn. A special combination of spectral filters used for this image makes the high haze become visible. A methane-sensitive filter (centered at 889 nanometers) makes high altitude features stand out, while a polarizing filter makes small haze particles appear bright.<br /><br />Methane in the atmosphere absorbs light with wavelengths around 889 nanometers as it travels deeper into the gas planet, thus bright areas in this image must represent reflective material at higher altitudes. Small particles or individual molecules scatter light quite effectively to a polarization of 90 degrees, which this polarizing filter is sensitive to. Thus, high altitude haze layers appear bright in this view.<br /><br />The small blob of light at far right is Dione (1,126 kilometers, or 700 miles across).<br /><br />The image was taken with the Cassini spacecraft wide-angle camera on Dec. 5, 2005, at a distance of approximately 2.9 million kilometers (1.8 million miles) from Saturn and at a Sun-Saturn-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 100 degrees. The image scale is 169 kilometers (105 miles) per pixel. </i> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[telfrow]

<b>Raw Image</b><br /><br /><i>N00047812.jpg was taken on January 05, 2006 and received on Earth January 05, 2006. The camera was pointing toward EPIMETHEUS at approximately 3,024,333 kilometers away, and the image was taken using the CL1 and CL2 filters.</i><br /><br />Three moons?<br /><br /> Link <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font color="#3366ff">Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yeild.</font> - <font color="#3366ff"><em>Tennyson</em></font></strong> </div>

 

[telfrow]

<b>Watching Saturn's Winds<br /><i>January 9, 2006</i></b> <br /><br /><i>Subtle features in Saturn's equatorial region and the nearly edge-on rings are captured in this view. Images like this will be carefully studied to see if changes in wind speed recorded in Hubble Space Telescope images are continuing, or whether the winds have reverted to their high-speed configuration measured by Voyager in 1981. <br />The image was taken with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Dec. 6, 2005 using a filter sensitive to wavelengths of infrared light centered at 727 nanometers and at a distance of approximately 3 million kilometers (1.9 million miles) from Saturn. The image scale is 35 kilometers (22 miles) per pixel.</i><br /><br /> Link <br /> <br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font color="#3366ff">Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yeild.</font> - <font color="#3366ff"><em>Tennyson</em></font></strong> </div>

 

[telfrow]

<b>Raw Image</b>: <i>N00047951.jpg was taken on January 08, 2006 and received on Earth January 09, 2006. The camera was pointing toward PANDORA at approximately 2,910,529 kilometers away, and the image was taken using the CL1 and CL2 filters. This image has not been validated or calibrated.</i><br /><br />I'd suggest the title "Neon Rings..." <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br /> Link <br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font color="#3366ff">Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yeild.</font> - <font color="#3366ff"><em>Tennyson</em></font></strong> </div>

 

[telfrow]

<b>Serenity Above, Tempests Below</b><br /><br /><i>Whiffs of cloud dance in Saturn's atmosphere, while the dim crescent of Rhea (1,528 kilometers, or 949 miles across) hangs in the distance.<br /><br /><br />The dark ringplane cuts a diagonal across the top left corner of this view.<br /><br /><br />The image was taken in polarized infrared light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Dec. 6, 2005, at a distance of approximately 3 million kilometers (1.9 million miles) from Saturn. The image scale is 35 kilometers (22 miles) per pixel.</i><br /><br /> Link <br /><br /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font color="#3366ff">Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yeild.</font> - <font color="#3366ff"><em>Tennyson</em></font></strong> </div>

 

[telfrow]

<b>Raw Image</b>: <i>N00047973.jpg was taken on January 10, 2006 and received on Earth January 10, 2006. The camera was pointing toward EPIMETHEUS at approximately 2,726,100 kilometers away, and the image was taken using the CL1 and CL2 filters. This image has not been validated or calibrated. </i><br /><br /> Link <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font color="#3366ff">Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yeild.</font> - <font color="#3366ff"><em>Tennyson</em></font></strong> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

<i>Twice as far from the Sun as Jupiter, Saturn's colder temperatures mean that clouds form lower in its atmosphere. As a result, the visible cloud patterns - so striking on Jupiter - occur deeper inside Saturn, reducing their visibility in natural color views.<br /><br />This enhanced-color view uses exaggerated contrast and intensity in order to make Saturn's cloud bands easy to see. The latitude seen at the image center is approximately 60 degrees south of the equator.<br /><br />Images taken in blue (BL2), green and red (CB1) polarized spectral filters were combined to create this enhanced-color view. The images were taken with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Dec. 7, 2005, at a distance of approximately 3.1 million kilometers (1.9 million miles) from Saturn. The image scale is 36 kilometers (22 miles) per pixel. </i> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

<i>This moody portrait of Saturn captures a razor-thin ringplane bisecting the clouds of the bright equatorial region. The rings cast dark, shadowy bands onto the planet's northern latitudes.<br /><br />At left, Dione (1,126 kilometers, or 700 miles across) is a tiny sunlit orb against the planet's dark side.<br /><br />The image was taken in polarized infrared light with the Cassini spacecraft wide-angle camera on Dec. 7, 2005 at a distance of approximately 3.1 million kilometers (1.9 million miles) from Saturn and at a Sun-Saturn-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 96 degrees. Image scale is 179 kilometers (111 miles) per pixel. </i> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[telfrow]

<b>Hoping for a Hex</b><br /><br /><i>As northern winter ends on Saturn and the Cassini spacecraft's view of the north pole improves, the swirls and eddies visible until now only in the south are gradually coming into view in the northern hemisphere.<br /><br />Scientists will be looking for the north polar hexagon that was seen by Voyager. The hexagon was a jet stream, deflected by a storm into a six-lobed pattern, that circled the planet at 76 degrees north latitude. This picture shows extensive storm activity and gives scientists hope that the hexagon is still there.<br /><br />The shadows of the rings of Saturn cut across the lower part of the image.<br /><br />The image was taken in polarized infrared light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Dec. 8, 2005, at a distance of approximately 3.2 million kilometers (2 million miles) from Saturn. The image scale is 37 kilometers (23 miles) per pixel.</i><br /><br /> Link <br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font color="#3366ff">Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yeild.</font> - <font color="#3366ff"><em>Tennyson</em></font></strong> </div>

 

[telfrow]

<b>Raw image:</b> <i>W00012977.jpg was taken on January 11, 2006 and received on Earth January 12, 2006. The camera was pointing toward SATURN-ERING at approximately 2,062,925 kilometers away, and the image was taken using the IR2 and CL2 filters. This image has not been validated or calibrated. </i><br /><br /> Link<br /><br />Any guesses how long it will take this one to show up on one of those "other websites" as "proof" of.....well, you get the idea. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font color="#3366ff">Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yeild.</font> - <font color="#3366ff"><em>Tennyson</em></font></strong> </div>

 

[telfrow]

<b>Raw Image:</b><i>N00048029.jpg was taken on January 13, 2006 and received on Earth January 14, 2006. The camera was pointing toward PAN at approximately 1,881,992 kilometers away, and the image was taken using the CL1 and CL2 filters. This image has not been validated or calibrated. </i><br /><br /> Link <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font color="#3366ff">Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yeild.</font> - <font color="#3366ff"><em>Tennyson</em></font></strong> </div>

 

[telfrow]

<b>A return to the orangey world</b><br /><br /><i>However big the data return, there are always going to be more questions than answers; and the desire to go back will get ever stronger. <br /><br />It won't happen for another 10 years or so. The scientific community has its eye next on Europa, the icy moon of Jupiter; but that does not mean researchers have put aside thoughts of a follow-up - far from it. <br /><br />The US space agency (Nasa), for example, has teams who conceptualise future missions. <br /><br />"We try to understand what can and cannot be done; what are the technological tallpoles, and from these kind of studies we can see what needs to be developed and that feeds into our programmes," explains Dr Tibor Balint, from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. <br /><br />Balint's team has recently worked through the engineering challenge of putting a rover on Titan. The group envisioned a vehicle that looked much like the robot explorers despatched to Mars. <br /><br />Obvious comparisons include the mast-mounted camera system and the robotic arm that can reach out to take measurements or bring back samples to an instrument carrousel. <br /><br />Unlike the Mars rovers' six-wheel configuration, the Titan concept would use just four large wheels. <br /><br />"When you get down to the surface, you fold the wheels out, inflate them and you can have a much larger surface coverage," Dr Balint told me. "These wheels are 1.5m in diameter and over a three-year operation you could cover up to 500km." <br /><br />Perhaps the biggest difference to the Mars machines, though, is the power source. <br /><br />The Mars rovers have a deck of solar cells to top their batteries. Being positioned so far from the Sun and hidden under a deep column of haze, the Titan rover would need a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG). <br /><br />This type of generator creates electricity from heat given off by the natural decay of plutonium. The US has long experience of using RTGs in space:</i> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font color="#3366ff">Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yeild.</font> - <font color="#3366ff"><em>Tennyson</em></font></strong> </div>