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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.

Full text not available from this repository.

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:
AuthorsInstitution or Email of AuthorsAuthor's ORCID iD
Porco, C.Cassini Imaging Central Laboratory for Operations, Space Science Institute, Boulder, COUNSPECIFIED
Baker, E.Cassini Imaging Central Laboratory for Operations, Space Science Institute, Boulder, COUNSPECIFIED
Barbara, J.NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York, NYUNSPECIFIED
Beurle, K.Astronomy Unit, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UKUNSPECIFIED
Brahic, A.C.E. de Saclay, Université Paris, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, FranceUNSPECIFIED
Burns, J.A.Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYUNSPECIFIED
Charnoz, S.C.E. de Saclay, Université Paris, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, FranceUNSPECIFIED
Cooper, N.Astronomy Unit, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UKUNSPECIFIED
Dawson, D.D.Department of Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, CAUNSPECIFIED
Del Genio, A.NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York, NYUNSPECIFIED
Denk, T.Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität, BerlinUNSPECIFIED
Dones, L.Department of Space Sciences, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, COUNSPECIFIED
Dyudina, U.Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CAUNSPECIFIED
Evans, M.Astronomy Unit, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UKUNSPECIFIED
Fussner, S.Department of Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, CAUNSPECIFIED
Giese, B.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Grazier, K.Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CAUNSPECIFIED
Helfenstein, P.Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYUNSPECIFIED
Ingersoll, A.Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CAUNSPECIFIED
Jacobson, R.A.Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CAUNSPECIFIED
Johnson, T.V.Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CAUNSPECIFIED
McEwen, A.Department of Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, CAUNSPECIFIED
Murray, C.Astronomy Unit, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UKUNSPECIFIED
Neukum, G.Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität, BerlinUNSPECIFIED
Owen, W.M.Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CAUNSPECIFIED
Perry, J.Department of Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, CAUNSPECIFIED
Roatsch, T.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Spitale, J.Cassini Imaging Central Laboratory for Operations, Space Science Institute, Boulder, COUNSPECIFIED
Squyres, S.Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYUNSPECIFIED
Thomas, P.Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYUNSPECIFIED
Tiscareno, M.Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYUNSPECIFIED
Turtle, E.Department of Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, CAUNSPECIFIED
Vasavada, A.R.Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CAUNSPECIFIED
Veverka, J.Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYUNSPECIFIED
Wagner, R.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
West, R.Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CAUNSPECIFIED
Date:2005
Journal or Publication Title:Nature
Refereed publication:Yes
Open Access:No
Gold Open Access:No
In SCOPUS:No
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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