Probe Sends Pictures Of Titan

14 Jan, 2005 at 9:33pm ET Article published in Tech

The international Cassini-Huygens space mission to Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, is officially a success. Scientists got their first image from the Huygens probe Friday afternoon.

After traveling through more than 2 billion miles of space, the European Space Agency’s Huygens probe reached its final destination early Friday. It successfully navigated Titan’s murky atmosphere and touched down on the moon’s surface after a descent that took more than two hours.

As it fell, the probe snapped at least 350 photos and collected data about the mysterious moon’s thick atmosphere. Space scientists are giddy that their work has resulted in success.

“The morning was good; the afternoon is better,” said European Space Agency director general Jean-Jacques Dordain during a press conference Friday. “This morning we had an engineering success, and we can say this afternoon that we have also a scientific success.”

One of Huygens’ first photographs appeared to have been taken from many miles overhead as the probe landed. It shows meandering, river-like patterns and an uneven shoreline. Another photo shows what looks like a desolate, flat landscape scattered with rocks.

Congratulations to the European Space Agency. -KF

Source: Wired

Comments

14 Jan 2005 ~ 11:05pm TBonZ A 7 year journey complete, that is so incredibly awesome.

I'm wondering, do these probes have any kind of sensors active while in travel? Maybe to detect anomolies along the way, such as UFO's? Just wondering....
15 Jan 2005 ~ 12:08am drasnor

TBonZ wrote:

I'm wondering, do these probes have any kind of sensors active while in travel? Maybe to detect anomolies along the way, such as UFO's? Just wondering....

The Huygens probe was off for the 7 year part and in power-saving mode (all but the accelerometer turned off) for the 22 days after seperation from Cassini before it's atmospheric entry. Cassini is a different story though, it has a bunch of instruments that could probably detect something like that, though they were all pointed at Saturn and its moons. It's the classic security dilemma: it can't just merely be there, it actually has to pass in front of the camera .

BTW, one of the most convenient sources for information about our current space exploits is at http://planetarysociety.org .

-drasnor
15 Jan 2005 ~ 12:43am TBonZ True, true.

I wondering like some kind of space sonar sensor that could be powered by solar panels. Detecting unconventional movement patterns that would rule out any kind of meteor or normal space debris. Is interesting, it would have to have some range too.
15 Jan 2005 ~ 12:49am drasnor We already have something similar: ground-based radar can detect any solid object larger than a ballpoint pen out to the moon's orbit. Unconventional movement patterns? Why not just track all of it (we do).

-drasnor
15 Jan 2005 ~ 1:07am RWB Yet an astriod could impact tomorrow and we wouldn't know it until it happens, screw UFO's! Their probably the ones who send them our way
Like ants under a magnifying lens....
15 Jan 2005 ~ 1:15am TBonZ I mean alot father than an earth to moon orbit for sensory range and also the ability to filter out normal space objects and focus and record data on objects that move in patterns less consistent with normal space debris. Oh well, I'm sure if they could, they would.
15 Jan 2005 ~ 1:22am TBonZ True RWB, we definitely aren't at that capability yet.
15 Jan 2005 ~ 3:11am Camman

RWB wrote:

Yet an astriod could impact tomorrow and we wouldn't know it until it happens, screw UFO's! Their probably the ones who send them our way
Like ants under a magnifying lens....

uh oh....ever seen Starship Troopers
15 Jan 2005 ~ 11:33am drasnor
Photo credits: ESA/NASA/University of Arizona, hosted by planetarysociety.org
Surf Titan anyone? It's a raw image, so they don't know exactly what everything is. In case anyone's been out of the loop, scientists have speculated since the Voyager probe flyby in the 70's that Titan has methane in all three phases (solid, liquid, gas) similar to how we have water here.

They have a recording of what the wind sounds like there. You can find it here

-drasnor
15 Jan 2005 ~ 2:43pm Garg

drasnor wrote:

... Titan has methane in all three phases (solid, liquid, gas) similar to how we have water here.

Anybody got a light?
15 Jan 2005 ~ 4:56pm Spinner Fascinating.
15 Jan 2005 ~ 9:02pm RWB So those are oceans of methane? wooowwww.....
15 Jan 2005 ~ 10:31pm MountainDew VERY cool, VERY interesting, I wonder what kinda info they'll get from this whole adventure.
16 Jan 2005 ~ 1:39am Thrax The coolest thing so far is getting to hear what another world sounds like. <i>That</i> is awesome.
17 Jan 2005 ~ 12:54am entropy Very cool. God I wish we could get out there
17 Jan 2005 ~ 2:01pm danball1976 The most interesting sound is the one of the radar altimeter blanking signal as it descends
17 Jan 2005 ~ 5:24pm TBonZ Wow, that was so cool it just blows my mind. Adding the sound element completely enhances my sense of awe & curiousity for the space outside our world. I am so small, I am not worthy.
19 Jan 2005 ~ 2:45am Komete THis is a big achievment and all but when are they going to send back some color jpeg photos?