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Cassini’s 'T6' Titan Flyby
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PIA 07711
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This map of Titan's surface illustrates the regions that will be imaged by Cassini during the spacecraft's close flyby of Titan on August 22, 2005. At closest approach, the spacecraft is expected to pass approximately 3,800 kilometers (2,360 miles) above the moon’s surface. At 5,150 kilometers (3,200 miles) across, Titan is one of the Solar System's largest moons.
The colored lines delineate the regions that will be imaged at differing resolutions.
As Cassini continues its reconnaissance of Titan, maps of this haze enshrouded world continue to improve. Images from this flyby will sharpen the moderate resolution coverage of terrain on the side of Titan that always faces Saturn.
The highest resolution image planned for this encounter, will cover a 215-kilometer (134-mile) wide bright feature provisionally named “Bazaruto Facula”. (A facula is the name chosen to denote a bright spot on Titan.) At the center of the facula is an 80-kilometer (50-mile) wide crater (not yet named), seen by Cassini's RADAR SAR experiment during a Titan flyby in February 2005 (see PIA07368). ISS and VIMS images taken in March and April 2005 also show this crater (see PIA06234).
The southernmost corner of the highest resolution (1 kilometer per pixel) frame should also cover the northern portion of a large bright feature provisionally known as “Quivira”.
Wide angle images obtained during this flyby should cover much of the Tsegihi-Aztlan-Quivira region (also known as the "H" region) at lower resolution.
The map shows only brightness variations on Titan's surface (the illumination is such that there are no shadows and no shading due to topographic variations). Previous observations indicate that, due to Titan's thick, hazy atmosphere, the sizes of surface features that can be resolved are a few to five times larger than the actual pixel scale labeled on the map.
The images for this global map were obtained using a narrow band filter centered at 938 nanometers – a near-infrared wavelength (invisible to the human eye) at which light can penetrate Titan's atmosphere to reach the surface and return through the atmosphere to be detected by the camera. The images have been processed to enhance surface details.
The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The imaging team consists of scientists from the US, England, France, and Germany. The imaging operations center and team lead (Dr. C. Porco) are based at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo.
For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission, visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov and the Cassini imaging team home page, http://ciclops.org.
Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute
Released: August 19, 2005 (PIA 07711)
Image/Caption Information |
Alliance Member Comments
Here is a list of Names which I submitted to Jennifer Blue at the USGS Astrogeology Branch as of Tuesday, September 15, 2009, for addition to the IAU Nomenclature Database (IAU/USGS Planetary Gazetteer) regarding the newly designated nomenclature theme for TITAN Planitia Surface Features as assigned by the International Astronomical Union;
- ARRAKIS - CALADAN - III DELTA KAISING - GEIDI PRIME - KAITAIN - TLEILAX - LANKIVEIL - TUPILE - SALUSA SECUNDUS - AL DHANAB - BELA TEGEUSE - HAGAL - GINAZ - SYNCHRONY - LAMPADAS - PARMENTIER - BUZZELL - ECAZ - IPYR - IX - KOLHAR - PORITRIN - RICHESE - LERNAEUS - ROSAK - SIKUN -
A descriptive sentence or two was also attached with the Name of each "DUNE" planet as well. In addition, a list of DUNE "Houses" (ex: HOUSE ATREIDES), and a list of DUNE Characters were also attached to the list of DUNE Planets. So, If you can't wait to see "ARRAKIS" Planitia on the surface of Saturns' largest satellite, TITAN, think about how I feel, when I've been doing this for 20 years.
Here's the secret; YOU JUST NEVER GET ENOUGH WHEN YOU KNOW WHAT VALUE IT WILL HAVE FOR ALL FUTURE GENERATIONS. IT JUST SIMPLY UNITES ALL CULTURES AND ETHNICITIES OF HUMANITY, AND IT DOES SO AT A COSMIC SCALE.
My daughter Vicky is a big fan of the DUNE Series, and as other young children around the world, she too will one day be amazed at what beauty can arise out of a single image taken by a planetary mission probe, and where it can lead humanity.
- My Sincere thanks to the CICLOPS Team, NASA, JPL, the USGS and the International Astronomical Union, for their outstanding collaboration of over two decades, and to the CICLOPS Alliance for their interest and enthusiasm that they have shown regarding the CASSINI / HUYGENS Mission to the Saturnian System.
- "CHUSUK" Planitia, Here Comes "ARRAKIS"! -
Best of Regards,
John A. Koulouris,(Esq.)
Planetary Cartographer / Writer
Astereion- Orion Project,
Laval, Canada.
Really?!. Can't wait to see the "Arrakis Planitia" :)
Well. it's due to images such as these, that we find the IAU/WGPSN deciding to add a Nomenclature Theme or Category for Planitia surface features on Titan based on Frank Herbert's Novel and Series "DUNE". And wouldn't you know it, the IAU Nomenclature Theme (Category) for Planitia is:
PLANETS from Frank Herbert's Novel "DUNE".
Not only does my daughter Vicky love DUNE, but after spending sometime preparing a list of names and suggestions for submission to the IAU and USGS Astro Branch a week ago, and explaining to her how the IAU and CICLOPS Team cobtribute to future generations, my daughter is starting to love the IAU and CICLOPS team as well.
When a child utters the words: "Fear is the Mind Killer" to her Canadian born
father of Spartan Greek origin, it just may very well be the time to translate these words of a child as meaning the following;
"Father!, The Sleeper has Awakened!"
For what are images to the human eye at the present time, shall be senses that will capture the imagination of the human mind with great magnitude in the future. And in so being, will hold humanity breathless at the grandeur that awaits us.
Some really TITANIC images that are going to get better and better, until the day comes when we hover above CHUSUK, LIGEIA, ONTARIO, SANTORINI and the KRAKEN.
Just Great Work....
Best Regards, to the CICLOPS Team, and the Alliance.
John A. Koulouris,(Esq.)
Planetary Cartographer / Writer
Astereion- Orion Project,
Laval, Canada.
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