Cassini/Huygens Mission Update Thread

[toymaker]

"Have we seen a natural phenomenon this straight before anywhere else? "<br />Yes, Ganymede:<br />http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980805.html<br /><br />And Moon:<br />http://www.lpi.usra.edu/expmoon/Apollo16/A16metric1972.gif

 

[mooware]

Yep, those are pretty straight. Not as straight as Dione, but then it could be a resolution issue.<br /><br />What is the scale of this pic?

 

[thalion]

I'm guessing that's a fault or stress fracture of some kind. Assuming Dione's surface is icy, ice acts a lot like rock at Saturnian temperatures.

 

[krrr]

I think the image resolution is about 0.5 km/pixel.<br /><br />Which makes the feature at least 180 km (110 miles) long.

 

[mooware]

That would be an awfully long comet chain impact wouldn't it? Hmmm, maybe it is a stress fracture or something.<br /><br />

 

[Leovinus]

<i>Cassini has found Titan's upper atmosphere to consist of a surprising number of layers of haze, as shown in this ultraviolet image of Titan's night side limb, colorized to look like true color. The many fine haze layers extend several hundred kilometers above the surface. Although this is a night side view, with only a thin crescent receiving direct sunlight, the haze layers are bright from light scattered through the atmosphere.<br /><br />The image was taken with the Cassini spacecraft narrow angle camera. About 12 distinct haze layers can be seen in this image, with a scale of 0.7 kilometers (.43 miles) per pixel. The limb shown here is at about 10 degrees south latitude, in the equatorial region. </i> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[silylene old]

I agree, and thought the same.<br /><br />If you look VERY closely at the "long line" you can see that it is not a chain of craters, since some features such as scarps and crater walls are simply cleaved apart.<br /><br />I also think that the "long line" may have had some upwelling of bright water ice. There seems to be some indications of possible flow in a couple of locations along it. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><em><font color="#0000ff">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</font></em> </div><div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><font color="#0000ff"><em>I really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function.</em></font> </div> </div>

 

[remcook]

it will take photos looking downward while falling through the atmosphere<br /><br />http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~aeibl/disr_intro.html<br />(check out the pictures)

 

[liquidspace2k]

I sure hope, this years Christmas Gift from ESA, is much better than last years Christmas Gift... sure hope this one works

 

[bushuser]

While checking the Huygens timeline, I note that Cassini will pass within 60,000 miles of Iapetus on January 1. Maybe we will finally get a good image of the Monolith.<br /><br />At least, be prepared for something bizarre.

 

[blairf]

In Arthur C Clarke's 2001 a monolith is discovered on Iapetus (same as the one from the moon feautured in the opening scenes)<br /><br />Don't know why he chose Iapetus, if you want to find out Google is your friend

 

[bushuser]

Arthur Clarke chose Iapetus because even in the 1960's, they knew that one side of the moon is 6 times brighter than the opposite side. In the novel, he explained this albedo variation as being due to a construction project by aliens who visited Iapetus. He further used this to explain Saturn's rings...that they are a debris field created by blasting away at one side of the moon.<br /><br />My comment was facetious, but what an imagination!<br /><br />Back to reality. Those of us who love the 2001 novel have a special affection for little Iapetus. The few hazy images we have obtained this year confirm the strange variance of albedo between the "leading" and "trailing" hemispheres. I think sharp, detailed images will reveal something quite strange.

 

[fangsheath]

Will Cassini image the Huygens probe as it drifts away? The mission description pdf does not seem to make that clear.

 

[alexblackwell]

<i>Will Cassini image the Huygens probe as it drifts away? The mission description pdf does not seem to make that clear</i>.<br /><br />The short answer is yes. From page 17 of the above-mentioned document:<br /><br />"Post-separation imaging of the Probe (via 5x5 mosaic with the imaging cameras, shown [below]) will be used to improve the knowledge of its ephemeris, entry conditions at Titan, and ultimately the descent trajectory."

 

[llivinglarge]

T-MINUS 10 MINUTES TO RELEASE!<br /><br />http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens/SEMD6E2VQUD_0.html<br /><br />

 

[odysseus145]

I just hope it fairs better than Beagle 2 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[alexblackwell]

Titan-Bound Huygens Probe Detaches From Cassini<br />Jet Propulsion Laboratory<br />December 24, 2004

 

[alokmohan]

And now it is done on christmas day and beagle is not repeated.

 

[centsworth_II]

<font color="yellow">"...beagle is not repeated."</font><br /><br />Don't uncross your fingers yet. The decent, landing and data transmission is the hard part. But Beagle was a bit of a "shoestring" project, which Huygens is not, so I'm as confident as one can be that things will go according to plan. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[alexblackwell]

<i>The short answer is yes. From page 17 of the above-mentioned document: <br /><br />"Post-separation imaging of the Probe (via 5x5 mosaic with the imaging cameras, shown [below]) will be used to improve the knowledge of its ephemeris, entry conditions at Titan, and ultimately the descent trajectory."</i><br /><br />See some Huygens post-release imagery:<br /><br />Cassini Snaps Image of ESA's Huygens Probe<br />December 25, 2004<br /><br />Huygens Probe Zoom<br />December 25, 2004

 

[qzzq]

From APOD:<ul type="square">Explanation: As a present to APOD readers, digital imager Mattias Malmer offers a very high resolution view of big beautiful Saturn. A labor of love, his full mosaic, composite image is contained in a large 5 megabyte jpeg file (preview here, download here) and spans the gorgeous gas giant from ring tip to ring tip. It was pieced together from 102 frames (N00020905 to N00021033) recorded by the Cassini spacecraft ISS on October 6, 2004. The red, green, and blue frames are all uncalibrated, unvalidated images available to the public through the Cassini web site. Malmer's full panorama has a pixel size of 8400 by 3300, so only a substantially cropped version appears above. Enjoy the view and have a safe and Happy Holiday Season!</ul><br /><br />Now, that's awfully nice of them! <img src="/images/icons/cool.gif" /> <br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p>***</p> </div>

 

[tom_hobbes]

Beagle was almost entirely privately financed wasn't it? A recent report criticised lack of central funding as the prime reason for it's failure, I think. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#339966"> I wish I could remember<br /> But my selective memory<br /> Won't let me</font><font size="2" color="#99cc00"> </font><font size="3" color="#339966"><font size="2">- </font></font><font size="1" color="#339966">Mark Oliver Everett</font></p><p> </p> </div>

 

[centsworth_II]

I admire the ambition of the Beagle project and NASA has certainly had its share of missions failing due to 'stupid' mistakes. Mistakes which ironically have been blamed on decision making being too centralized (and arrogant). <br /><br />I'm still waiting for an all purpose, basic, mass produced probe that can be sent out individually, en mass (multiple warhead-like), or attached to other missions. In other words, where is the Model T of probes? A private group that comes up with this could do a good business with governments, universities and other private groups. Of course we would need the Model T of lift-off vehicules to go along with it! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[douglas_clark]

centsworth_II,<br /><br />Hi'<br /><br />Lets all stay calm here. Lets get the probe on the surface and the data back. Let's not worry! And maybe if they succeed, better things will come. Here's hoping.<br /><br />Douglas

 

[centsworth_II]

<font color="yellow">"Let's not worry!"</font><br /><br />Thanks. I agree. In fact, I would argue for a more positive view. The die is cast. Huygens is on its way. No more adjustments or alterations. We just wait.<br /><br />I have a good feeling about this. In three weeks we'll be seeing fantastic panoramas of Titan's surface and have a whole new box of puzzle pieces to put together! What a great bonne annee gift! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>