Titan, Xanadu rivers. Cassini SAR images. Wednesday 28th May 2008.

[3488]

<p><font size="2"><strong>This is very interesting IMO.</strong></font></p><p><strong><font size="3" color="#000080">Titan, Xanadu rivers. Cassini SAR images 28th May 2008.</font></strong><br /> <img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/14/5/4e4120be-437d-4b8b-a5c4-260e11e5c74e.Medium.jpg" alt="" /><br />&nbsp;</p><p><font size="2"><strong>Andrew Brown.&nbsp;</strong></font></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[Carrickagh]

<dt></dt><dt>In&nbsp;Xanadu did Kubla Khan<br />A stately pleasure-dome decree :<br />Where Alph, the sacred river, ran<br />Through caverns measureless to man<br />Down to a sunless sea... </dt><dd></dd><dd></dd><dd>---Coleridge<br /></dd><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[silylene old]

<p>A place where nobody dared to go<br /><br />The love that we came to know<br /><br />They call it Xanadu<br /><br />And now<br /><br />Open your eyes and see<br /><br />What we have made is real<br /><br />We are in Xanadu<br /><br />A million lights are dancing <br /><br />And there you are <br /><br />A shooting star<br /><br />An everlasting world <br /><br />And you're here with me<br /><br />Eternally<br /><br />Xanadu, Xanadu, <br /><br />(now we are here) <br /><br />In Xanadu<br /><br />Xanadu, Xanadu,<br /><br />(now we are here)<br /><br />In Xanadu<br /><br />Xanadu, your neon lights will shine <br /><br />For you, Xanadu</p><p>&nbsp;- Olivia Newton John</p> <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>

 

[Carrickagh]

<p>I've heard SAR referred to as "blobology." Still, the blobs, if interpreted, can tell you a few things. This may be more the case as Cassini SAR is Ku-band and operates at 2.2 cm wavelength. This is a first for outer planets exploration.</p><p>It's hard to get one's head around an alien world where the skies rain methane. Yet also the notion that we are there by proxy observing this sight sends a tingle up yer spine.&nbsp;</p><p>The rivers in the image are just riverbeds, correct, with the energy from the radar pulse being scattered by whatever deposit is on the bed?&nbsp;Yet does this scatter, caused by surface lumpiness in the riverbed, indicate that the beds carry a lot of debris or that the methane clumps in some peculiar manner or some combination of both? At any rate, given the wavelength, is it a good guess these lumps are at least a few centimeters in diameter?</p><p>The surrounding plains look dried out in comparison. But that would be do to some sort of smoothing effect. Could this represent flooding? Or is the ground sloped and the reflection just different than whatever angle the riverbeds run at? </p><p>I suspect the scientists will be a while analyzing this information. They could actually have a lot of fun and even play "fitting games" with the data. Is the darker area an area of hydrocarbons or merely rocks or a mix? Indeed, even the radiometry can yield a metric close to temperature. Is it cooler on the plains than in the riverbed, for instance, and what might this differentiation do to the local Titanian weather patterns?</p><p>Thanks for the pic! Very cool!</p><p>**</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>