Titan....the adventure begins - Page 2 - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

splck · 01-17-2005, 12:28 AM

Composite of a 360-degrees view during descent, using 11 of the raw images. the raw images were corrected in brightness, scale and perspective and then stitched together. Missing areas on dark bottom and sky were completed with two-color-gradients. No information was added. Colors in the colored version were adjusted according to the ESA's colored surface view. Found it at this site

Here's the back and white.

Check out the rivers.

tecoyah · 01-17-2005, 08:47 AM

freakin' awesome pics....many thanks

splck · 01-17-2005, 08:55 AM

One more. It looks like a coastline right here on earth.

Rekna · 01-17-2005, 08:57 AM

It probably isn't water in any of those pics. Considering it is very very cold there any water would be frozen. It is probably some methane type liquid.

splck · 01-17-2005, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rekna

It probably isn't water in any of those pics. Considering it is very very cold there any water would be frozen. It is probably some methane type liquid.

It's definatly not water. Titan's temperature is about 94 K (-290 F).

Schwan · 01-17-2005, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by splck

Composite of a 360-degrees view during descent, using 11 of the raw images. the raw images were corrected in brightness, scale and perspective and then stitched together. Missing areas on dark bottom and sky were completed with two-color-gradients. No information was added. Colors in the colored version were adjusted according to the ESA's colored surface view. Found it at this site

Wow, thanks! These pics are amazing. I wonder what the white stuff on the methane sea is - I don't think it's land, and my best guess is large chunks of ice. These might also be currents of some kind. Hm.

Thermopyle · 01-18-2005, 08:31 AM

Cool pics everybody!

I was sitting in ESA/ESTEC in holland after en job-interview watching a live broadcast from OP-center in Darmstadt, Germany when the first signal from Huygens came. It was all very cool!

tecoyah · 01-22-2005, 02:59 AM

I found this truly fascinating........

Almost a Twilight Zone episode

An alternate Earth with:
Water Ice ,instead of rocks
Methane, instead of water
Amonia, instead of Lava

Unveiling the Extraordinarily Earth-like World of Titan

Click to enlarge
Credit: Steve Munsinger

ESA -- On January 14, ESA's Huygens probe made an historic first ever descent to the surface of Titan, 1.2 billion kilometres from Earth and the largest of Saturn's moons. Huygens travelled to Titan as part of the joint ESA/NASA/ASI Cassini-Huygens mission.

Starting at about 150 kilometres altitude, six multi-function instruments on board Huygens recorded data during the descent and on the surface. The first scientific assessments of Huygens' data were presented during a press conference at ESA head office in Paris on January 21.

"We now have the key to understanding what shapes Titan's landscape," said Dr Martin Tomasko, Principal Investigator for the Descent Imager-Spectral Radiometer (DISR), adding: "Geological evidence for precipitation, erosion, mechanical abrasion and other fluvial activity says that the physical processes shaping Titan are much the same as those shaping Earth."

Spectacular images captured by the DISR reveal that Titan has extraordinarily Earth-like meteorology and geology. Images have shown a complex network of narrow drainage channels running from brighter highlands to lower, flatter, dark regions. These channels merge into river systems running into lakebeds featuring offshore 'islands' and 'shoals' remarkably similar to those on Earth.

Data provided in part by the Gas Chromatograph and Mass Spectrometer (GCMS) and Surface Science Package (SSP) support Dr Tomasko's conclusions. Huygens' data provide strong evidence for liquids flowing on Titan. However, the fluid involved is methane, a simple organic compound that can exist as a liquid or gas at Titan's sub-170°C temperatures, rather than water as on Earth.

Titan's rivers and lakes appear dry at the moment, but rain may have occurred not long ago.

Deceleration and penetration data provided by the SSP indicate that the material beneath the surface's crust has the consistency of loose sand, possibly the result of methane rain falling on the surface over eons, or the wicking of liquids from below towards the surface.

Heat generated by Huygens warmed the soil beneath the probe and both the GCMS and SSP detected bursts of methane gas boiled out of surface material, reinforcing methane's principal role in Titan's geology and atmospheric meteorology -- forming clouds and precipitation that erodes and abrades the surface.

In addition, DISR surface images show small rounded pebbles in a dry riverbed. Spectra measurements (color) are consistent with a composition of dirty water ice rather than silicate rocks. However, these are rock-like solid at Titan's temperatures.

Titan's soil appears to consist at least in part of precipitated deposits of the organic haze that shrouds the planet. This dark material settles out of the atmosphere. When washed off high elevations by methane rain, it concentrates at the bottom of the drainage channels and riverbeds contributing to the dark areas seen in DISR images.

New, stunning evidence based on finding atmospheric argon 40 indicates that Titan has experienced volcanic activity generating not lava, as on Earth, but water ice and ammonia.

Thus, while many of Earth's familiar geophysical processes occur on Titan, the chemistry involved is quite different. Instead of liquid water, Titan has liquid methane. Instead of silicate rocks, Titan has frozen water ice. Instead of dirt, Titan has hydrocarbon particles settling out of the atmosphere, and instead of lava, Titanian volcanoes spew very cold ice.
Mosaic of river channel and ridge area on Titan. Credit: ESA

Titan is an extraordinary world having Earth-like geophysical processes operating on exotic materials in very alien conditions.

"We are really extremely excited about these results. The scientists have worked tirelessly for the whole week because the data they have received from Huygens are so thrilling. This is only the beginning, these data will live for many years to come and they will keep the scientists very very busy", said Jean-Pierre Lebreton, ESA's Huygens Project Scientist and Mission manager.

http://www.rednova.com/news/display/?id=120855

Baron Opal · 01-22-2005, 03:37 AM

Ever since I was a little kid and watched the lunar landing I have been fascinated with space and space travel. It is a wonder to me to see and learn all we are about Titan.

rfra3645 · 01-22-2005, 04:18 PM

i read this http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp.../titan_mission news story from yahoo. and found it incrediblly intersting. wow a earth like plannet that takes 7 years to get to. holy shitsky. 7 years to get there. they siad it rains there frequently. but not rain mehtane.. how crazzyy

01-17-2005, 12:28 AM	#41 (permalink)
splck it's jam Location: Lowerainland BC	Composite of a 360-degrees view during descent, using 11 of the raw images. the raw images were corrected in brightness, scale and perspective and then stitched together. Missing areas on dark bottom and sky were completed with two-color-gradients. No information was added. Colors in the colored version were adjusted according to the ESA's colored surface view. Found it at this site Here's the back and white. Check out the rivers. __________________ nice line eh?

01-17-2005, 08:47 AM	#42 (permalink)
tecoyah Illusionary	freakin' awesome pics....many thanks __________________ Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. - Buddha

01-17-2005, 08:55 AM	#43 (permalink)
splck it's jam Location: Lowerainland BC	One more. It looks like a coastline right here on earth. __________________ nice line eh?

01-18-2005, 08:31 AM	#47 (permalink)
Thermopyle Crazy Location: Top of the World, Mom!	Cool pics everybody! I was sitting in ESA/ESTEC in holland after en job-interview watching a live broadcast from OP-center in Darmstadt, Germany when the first signal from Huygens came. It was all very cool! __________________ Live life like you're gonna die, beacause you're gonna! - William Shatner.

01-22-2005, 02:59 AM	#48 (permalink)
tecoyah Illusionary	I found this truly fascinating........ Almost a Twilight Zone episode An alternate Earth with: Water Ice ,instead of rocks Methane, instead of water Amonia, instead of Lava Unveiling the Extraordinarily Earth-like World of Titan Click to enlarge Credit: Steve Munsinger ESA -- On January 14, ESA's Huygens probe made an historic first ever descent to the surface of Titan, 1.2 billion kilometres from Earth and the largest of Saturn's moons. Huygens travelled to Titan as part of the joint ESA/NASA/ASI Cassini-Huygens mission. Starting at about 150 kilometres altitude, six multi-function instruments on board Huygens recorded data during the descent and on the surface. The first scientific assessments of Huygens' data were presented during a press conference at ESA head office in Paris on January 21. "We now have the key to understanding what shapes Titan's landscape," said Dr Martin Tomasko, Principal Investigator for the Descent Imager-Spectral Radiometer (DISR), adding: "Geological evidence for precipitation, erosion, mechanical abrasion and other fluvial activity says that the physical processes shaping Titan are much the same as those shaping Earth." Spectacular images captured by the DISR reveal that Titan has extraordinarily Earth-like meteorology and geology. Images have shown a complex network of narrow drainage channels running from brighter highlands to lower, flatter, dark regions. These channels merge into river systems running into lakebeds featuring offshore 'islands' and 'shoals' remarkably similar to those on Earth. Data provided in part by the Gas Chromatograph and Mass Spectrometer (GCMS) and Surface Science Package (SSP) support Dr Tomasko's conclusions. Huygens' data provide strong evidence for liquids flowing on Titan. However, the fluid involved is methane, a simple organic compound that can exist as a liquid or gas at Titan's sub-170°C temperatures, rather than water as on Earth. Titan's rivers and lakes appear dry at the moment, but rain may have occurred not long ago. Deceleration and penetration data provided by the SSP indicate that the material beneath the surface's crust has the consistency of loose sand, possibly the result of methane rain falling on the surface over eons, or the wicking of liquids from below towards the surface. Heat generated by Huygens warmed the soil beneath the probe and both the GCMS and SSP detected bursts of methane gas boiled out of surface material, reinforcing methane's principal role in Titan's geology and atmospheric meteorology -- forming clouds and precipitation that erodes and abrades the surface. In addition, DISR surface images show small rounded pebbles in a dry riverbed. Spectra measurements (color) are consistent with a composition of dirty water ice rather than silicate rocks. However, these are rock-like solid at Titan's temperatures. Titan's soil appears to consist at least in part of precipitated deposits of the organic haze that shrouds the planet. This dark material settles out of the atmosphere. When washed off high elevations by methane rain, it concentrates at the bottom of the drainage channels and riverbeds contributing to the dark areas seen in DISR images. New, stunning evidence based on finding atmospheric argon 40 indicates that Titan has experienced volcanic activity generating not lava, as on Earth, but water ice and ammonia. Thus, while many of Earth's familiar geophysical processes occur on Titan, the chemistry involved is quite different. Instead of liquid water, Titan has liquid methane. Instead of silicate rocks, Titan has frozen water ice. Instead of dirt, Titan has hydrocarbon particles settling out of the atmosphere, and instead of lava, Titanian volcanoes spew very cold ice. Mosaic of river channel and ridge area on Titan. Credit: ESA Titan is an extraordinary world having Earth-like geophysical processes operating on exotic materials in very alien conditions. "We are really extremely excited about these results. The scientists have worked tirelessly for the whole week because the data they have received from Huygens are so thrilling. This is only the beginning, these data will live for many years to come and they will keep the scientists very very busy", said Jean-Pierre Lebreton, ESA's Huygens Project Scientist and Mission manager. http://www.rednova.com/news/display/?id=120855 __________________ Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. - Buddha

01-17-2005, 08:57 AM	#44 (permalink)
Rekna Junkie	It probably isn't water in any of those pics. Considering it is very very cold there any water would be frozen. It is probably some methane type liquid.

01-22-2005, 03:37 AM	#49 (permalink)
Baron Opal Crazy Location: Oregon	Ever since I was a little kid and watched the lunar landing I have been fascinated with space and space travel. It is a wonder to me to see and learn all we are about Titan.

01-22-2005, 04:18 PM	#50 (permalink)
rfra3645 Crazy Location: geff il	i read this http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp.../titan_mission news story from yahoo. and found it incrediblly intersting. wow a earth like plannet that takes 7 years to get to. holy shitsky. 7 years to get there. they siad it rains there frequently. but not rain mehtane.. how crazzyy __________________ this post is a natural product made from recycled electrons. the slight variations in spelling, grammar and punctuation enhance its individual character and individuality and are in no way to be considered flaws or defects. if you cant read my post i dont want to hear about it move on. thanks