Unveiling Titan

[alexblackwell]

Here's the fullres Cassini RADAR strip during the Ta pass: PIA06988: Diversity on Titan

 

[alexblackwell]

<i>Didn't the planetary society place a microphone on the [Huygens] probe?</i><br /><br />Not that I'm aware of. Perhaps you are remembering The Planetary Society's Mars Microphone (MM) that flew on the ill-fated Mars Polar Lander. MM was also slated to refly on the now-defunct French NetLander mission to Mars.

 

[toymaker]

Yes as far as I know they are two microphones on the probe. <br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassini-Huygens <br />"The HASI subsystem also contains a microphone, which will be used to record any acoustic events during probe descent and landing. If the Huygens mission succeeds, it will be only the second time in history (a Venera-13 recording being the first) that audible sounds from another planetary body have been recorded" <br /><br />Learn more here :<br />http://www.universetoday.com/am/publish/huygens_listen_thunderstorms.html

 

[alexblackwell]

Thanks, Toymaker. I'd forgotten about the HASI acoustic sensor on Huygens. Note, however, that this was <i>not</i> supplied by The Planetary Society.

 

[volcanopele2]

There is a microphone in Atmospheric structure instrument:<br /><br />http://www.esa.int/export/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens/SEMMK30A90E_0.html <br /><br />EDIT: I need to refresh more often. Staring at the RADAR image too long. Nice break before I start work on the REGMAP mosaic.

 

[toymaker]

"Note, however, that this was not supplied by The Planetary Society"<br />Yup, somehow I deleted this from original post :/

 

[alexblackwell]

PIA06986: Titan's Whispers

 

[alexblackwell]

Titan: Where's the Wet Stuff?<br />by Henry Bortman<br />Astrobiology Magazine<br />October 28, 2004

 

[imran10]

Lakes, ridges, faults? A map of Titan emerges.<br />Peter N. Spotts<br />The Christian Science Monitor<br /><br /><br />

 

[silylene old]

This was interesting commentary from JPL about PIA06988: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpegMod/PIA06988_modest.jpg<br /><br /><i>Enigmatic sinuous bright linear features are visible, mainly cutting across dark areas.</i><br /><br />I thought they looked suggestive of liquid drainage coming off the bright areas in the center collecting into two rivers flowing to the left across the black field. <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>

 

[thechemist]

Titan's complex and strange world revealed <br />12:34 29 October 04 NewScientist.com news service <br /><br />The more we see, the more we want to see of Titan <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>I feel better than James Brown.</em> </div>

 

[tom_hobbes]

Titan certainly is a complex and exciting place! <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]

<font color="yellow">"I understand that Hyugens has camera's on board. But, I'm thinking that the haze may be so thick we may not see anything." -- mooware</font><br /><br />I wonder about this too, for visible light, but I assume that Huygens will also be looking at Titan in wavelengths that can see through the haze. I haven't seen any estimate of visability (in visible wavelengths) within the haze. Is this another of the things that just won't be known until Huygens gets there? Is it presumed that the haze extends to the ground? Wow! The anticipation! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[alexblackwell]

Cassini's Radar Shows Titan's Young Active Surface<br />NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory<br />October 29, 2004

 

[decepticon]

Cassini's Extendead mission should be Around Titan. A complete Radar Map would really knock my socks off!<br /><br />

 

[centsworth_II]

<font color="yellow">"Cassini's Exten<b>dead</b> mission..."</font><br /><br />A Holloween pun, perhaps?<img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[titanian]

The composite image below shows a part of the radar image of Titan taken on October 26, 2004 ( on the left side, roughly100km wide) and a satellite view of a part of the galilean moon Europa (right side ).Would those sinuous lines on Titan ( resembling geologic fractures) be the sign of an underground ocean?

 

[alexblackwell]

Anticipating the December 13, 2004 Titan flyby (Tb), below is an excerpt from the Cassini Titan Orbiter Science Team (TOST) Handoff Package, which was presented on October 14, 2004:<br /><br /><b>Tb High-Level Science Objectives</b><br /><br /><b>VIMS</b> - Observation of the surface of Titan at small solar phase angles; investigation of the formation and evolution of clouds on Titan. Search for lightning and hot spots and characterization of airglow.<br /><br /><b>CIRS</b> - The high point for CIRS is a 2 hr limb integration using our mid-IR detectors to search for new molecules in the stratosphere. We also continue our campaign of far-IR integrations (begun on T0) to search for species at longer wavelengths, and obtain a thermal map of the stratosphere, lending insight into the dynamics of Titan's atmosphere. <br /><br /><b>UVIS</b> - In Tb UVIS observes two stellar occultations which will tell us about the vertical profile of methane gas in Titan's high atmosphere. This will provide constraints on the density of the atmosphere. This is valuable for science and also for establishing the safety issues for low passes later in the tour.<br /><br /><b>ISS</b> - Tb provides opportunities for imaging at high-resolution (pixel scales as small as a few 10s of m) and low-phase angles (as low as 16 degrees). ISS observations include the Huygens' landing site (designed to allow stereo coverage with T10) and the locations of the specular points during both Ta and Tb. Outbound ride-along observations with VIMS may provide a views of Titan's north polar region illuminated by Saturn-shine.

 

[alexblackwell]

<i><b>ISS</b> - Tb provides opportunities for imaging at high-resolution (pixel scales as small as a few 10s of m) and low-phase angles (as low as 16 degrees). ISS observations include the Huygens' landing site (designed to allow stereo coverage with T10) and the locations of the specular points during both Ta and Tb. Outbound ride-along observations with VIMS may provide a views of Titan's north polar region illuminated by Saturn-shine.</i><br /><br />Below is a graphic depicting the planned ISS coverage during the Tb flyby.<br />

 

[peteb]

Alex -<br /><br />Is any radar planned for Tb? Also, is there a diagram showing the surface tracks over Titan for the rest of the mission? The last one I remember seeing (either in Harland's or Lorenz's books) showed no radar tracks over the Huygens landing area, although there several over the old landing zone to the northeast.

 

[alexblackwell]

<i>Is any radar planned for Tb?</i><br /><br />You know, Pete, that's a good question. I'm seeing a lot of conflicting information. The latest data volume allocation for Tb shows "0.0 Mb" reserved for RADAR; however, I would amazed if <i>no</i> RADAR data, at least scatterometry and/or radiometry, will be taken. I'll check.<br /><br /><i>Also, is there a diagram showing the surface tracks over Titan for the rest of the mission?</i><br /><br />There are a few, in different map projections and graphical renderings. Apart from the one in Lorenz's book, I believe, as you noted, that Harland reproduced one as well. However, these are probably a little out of date. The major problem, as RADAR team members have cautioned me, is that tour planning and trajectory refinement is an ongoing process, which leads to slight changes in the coverage at Titan. I do believe, however, that the current Huygens landing site is covered by RADAR on a future flyby.<br /><br />Interestingly, Someone Who Should Know tells me that the planned ~25% coverage by RADAR is going to be "more like 20%. [RADAR will] get scatterometry and radiometry with poorer (10s of km resolution) over much of the rest."

 

[decepticon]

WOW That Map looks so much better than previous Maps of titan.<br /><br />Is there a High Res map that has been updated with the recent flyby?

 

[alexblackwell]

<i>You know, Pete, that's a good question. I'm seeing a lot of conflicting information. The latest data volume allocation for Tb shows "0.0 Mb" reserved for RADAR; however, I would amazed if no RADAR data, at least scatterometry and/or radiometry, will be taken. I'll check.</i><br /><br />I just confirmed that <i>no</i> Cassini RADAR observations are scheduled for the Tb flyby on December 13, 2004.

 

[slayera]

I have some questions? What is the surface tempature Titan? What about it core temp? Any chance of large crystals structures by natural formation? Any chances of caves? What is the likely hood of finding simple or complex amino acids or proteins? Thanks ahead of time for anyone who answers.

 

[volcanopele2]

Yes, that is a much better map...Alex, we may need to talk...