Imaging of Titan from the Cassini spacecraft

Porco, C. and Baker, E. and Barbara, J. and Beurle, K. and Brahic, A. and Burns, J.A. and Charnoz, S. and Cooper, N. and Dawson, D.D. and Del Genio, A. and Denk, T. and Dones, L. and Dyudina, U. and Evans, M. and Fussner, S. and Giese, B. and Grazier, K. and Helfenstein, P. and Ingersoll, A. and Jacobson, R.A. and Johnson, T.V. and McEwen, A. and Murray, C. and Neukum, G. and Owen, W.M. and Perry, J. and Roatsch, T. and Spitale, J. and Squyres, S. and Thomas, P. and Tiscareno, M. and Turtle, E. and Vasavada, A.R. and Veverka, J. and Wagner, R. and West, R. (2005) Imaging of Titan from the Cassini spacecraft. Nature, 434, pp. 159-168. doi: 10.1038/nature03436.

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Abstract

Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, is the only satellite in the Solar System with a substantial atmosphere. The atmosphere is poorly understood and obscures the surface, leading to intense speculation about Titan's nature. Here we present observations of Titan from the imaging science experiment onboard the Cassini spacecraft that address some of these issues. The images reveal intricate surface albedo features that suggest aeolian, tectonic and fluvial processes; they also show a few circular features that could be impact structures. These observations imply that substantial surface modification has occurred over Titan's history. We have not directly detected liquids on the surface to date. Convective clouds are found to be common near the south pole, and the motion of mid-latitude clouds consistently indicates eastward winds, from which we infer that the troposphere is rotating faster than the surface. A detached haze at an altitude of 500 km is 150200 km higher than that observed by Voyager, and more tenuous haze layers are also resolved.

Item URL in elib:

https://elib.dlr.de/11133/

Document Type:

Article

Additional Information:

LIDO-Berichtsjahr=2005,

Title:

Imaging of Titan from the Cassini spacecraft

Authors:

Authors	Institution or Email of Authors	Author's ORCID iD
Porco, C.	Cassini Imaging Central Laboratory for Operations, Space Science Institute, Boulder, CO	UNSPECIFIED
Baker, E.	Cassini Imaging Central Laboratory for Operations, Space Science Institute, Boulder, CO	UNSPECIFIED
Barbara, J.	NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York, NY	UNSPECIFIED
Beurle, K.	Astronomy Unit, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UK	UNSPECIFIED
Brahic, A.	C.E. de Saclay, Université Paris, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France	UNSPECIFIED
Burns, J.A.	Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY	UNSPECIFIED
Charnoz, S.	C.E. de Saclay, Université Paris, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France	UNSPECIFIED
Cooper, N.	Astronomy Unit, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UK	UNSPECIFIED
Dawson, D.D.	Department of Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, CA	UNSPECIFIED
Del Genio, A.	NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York, NY	UNSPECIFIED
Denk, T.	Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität, Berlin	UNSPECIFIED
Dones, L.	Department of Space Sciences, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO	UNSPECIFIED
Dyudina, U.	Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA	UNSPECIFIED
Evans, M.	Astronomy Unit, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UK	UNSPECIFIED
Fussner, S.	Department of Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, CA	UNSPECIFIED
Giese, B.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Grazier, K.	Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA	UNSPECIFIED
Helfenstein, P.	Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY	UNSPECIFIED
Ingersoll, A.	Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA	UNSPECIFIED
Jacobson, R.A.	Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA	UNSPECIFIED
Johnson, T.V.	Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA	UNSPECIFIED
McEwen, A.	Department of Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, CA	UNSPECIFIED
Murray, C.	Astronomy Unit, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UK	UNSPECIFIED
Neukum, G.	Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität, Berlin	UNSPECIFIED
Owen, W.M.	Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA	UNSPECIFIED
Perry, J.	Department of Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, CA	UNSPECIFIED
Roatsch, T.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Spitale, J.	Cassini Imaging Central Laboratory for Operations, Space Science Institute, Boulder, CO	UNSPECIFIED
Squyres, S.	Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY	UNSPECIFIED
Thomas, P.	Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY	UNSPECIFIED
Tiscareno, M.	Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY	UNSPECIFIED
Turtle, E.	Department of Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, CA	UNSPECIFIED
Vasavada, A.R.	Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA	UNSPECIFIED
Veverka, J.	Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY	UNSPECIFIED
Wagner, R.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
West, R.	Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA	UNSPECIFIED

Date:

2005

Journal or Publication Title:

Nature

Refereed publication:

Yes

Open Access:

Gold Open Access:

In SCOPUS:

In ISI Web of Science:

Yes

Volume:

434

DOI:

10.1038/nature03436

Page Range:

pp. 159-168

Status:

Published

HGF - Research field:

Aeronautics, Space and Transport (old)

HGF - Program:

Space (old)

HGF - Program Themes:

W EW - Erforschung des Weltraums

DLR - Research area:

Space

DLR - Program:

W EW - Erforschung des Weltraums

DLR - Research theme (Project):

UNSPECIFIED

Location:

Berlin-Adlershof

Institutes and Institutions:

Institute of Planetary Research

Deposited By:

Pieth, Susanne

Deposited On:

08 Dec 2005

Last Modified:

14 Jan 2010 16:53

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