Saturn and Titan from Cassini
Explanation:
Spectacular
vistas
of
Saturn and its moon continue to be recorded by the Cassini spacecraft.
Launched from Earth in 1997, robotic Cassini
entered orbit around Saturn in 2004 and has revolutionized
much of humanity's knowledge of Saturn, its expansive and
complex rings, and it many
old and battered moons.
Soon after reaching Saturn,
Cassini released the
Huygen's probe
which landed on
Titan,
Saturn's largest moon, and send back
unprecedented
pictures from below
Titan's opaque cloud decks.
Recent
radar images of Titan from Cassini indicate flat
regions that are likely lakes of liquid methane, indicating a
complex weather system where it likely
rains chemicals similar
to gasoline.
Pictured above,
magnificent Saturn and enigmatic Titan were imaged together in
true color by Cassini earlier this year.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
