GPS News  
SATURN DAILY
Cassini images dunelands on Saturn's moon Titan
by Brooks Hays
Pasadena, Calif. (UPI) Nov 2, 2015


disclaimer: image is for illustration purposes only

Cassini's documentation of Saturn and its myriad satellites continues. On Monday, NASA shared a new Cassini image showcasing the dunelands of Titan, the largest of Saturn's moons.

Through the haze of Titan's atmosphere, the image reveals two vast regions of dunes, Fensal to the north and Aztlan to the south. Titan's dunes are made of hydrocarbon sands. A patch of vertically oriented dunes connects the two regions, forming an dark H-like shape on the moon's otherwise white icy surface.

Composed mostly of water ice and rocky material, Titan is both strange and familiar. Like Earth, it boasts clouds, rain and lakes, but they're made of liquid methane and ethane.

Unlike Earth, Titan receives barely any sun. Yet, its atmosphere, comprised mostly of nitrogen with a small amount of methane, is twice as thick as Earth's. Methane's greenhouse gas effect keeps Titan warmer than it would otherwise be -- a balmy negative 179 degrees Celsius.

Despite the thick atmosphere, the moon hosts relatively few clouds, enabling Cassini to photograph its many unique features.

Cassini's infrared light imager captured the newly shared photo on July 25, 2015. The probe, which has been exploring Saturn and its moons since 2006, periodically surveys Titan for surface changes -- helping scientists better understand Titan's weather patterns and geological processes.


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
Explore The Ring World of Saturn and her moons
Jupiter and its Moons
The million outer planets of a star called Sol
News Flash at Mercury






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

Previous Report
SATURN DAILY
NASA spacecraft plunges through Saturn moon's icy spray
Miami (AFP) Oct 29, 2015
On the hunt for alien worlds that might support life, NASA's unmanned Cassini spacecraft has survived its closest-ever dive through the icy spray coming from Saturn's moon Enceladus. The flyby took place Wednesday at 11:22 am (1522 GMT), NASA said. The probe skimmed 30 miles (49 kilometers) above the moon's southern polar region, sampling and collecting data on the spray that is believed ... read more


SATURN DAILY
Potato harvest reduced by half

EU lawmakers throw out GMO compromise law

Reducing the sweetness to survive

Farmers lose debt gamble in typhoon-plagued Philippines

SATURN DAILY
Silicon Valley granddaddy HP readies breakup

Techniques to cool 3D integrated circuits stacked like a skyscraper

Manipulating wrinkles could lead to graphene semiconductors

Photons open the gateway for quantum networks

SATURN DAILY
Australian KC-30A successfully refuels USAF F-35s

Fuel Additive Could Lead to Safer Jet Fuel

Lockheed Martin names Jeff Babione new F-35 program leader

U.S. delivers F-16s to Egypt

SATURN DAILY
US says VW also violated emission rules in larger engines

Toyota view on Volkswagen scandal: don't obsess over No. 1

Pollution scam pushes VW into first quarterly loss in 15 years

Tokyo Motor Show kicks off with a spotlight on self-driving cars

SATURN DAILY
Trade trumps hostility for S. Korea-China-Japan summit

Chinese investors held after metals exchange protest plans

German exporters thrive despite China concerns: federation

Pomp and protests as China's Xi meets Queen Elizabeth II

SATURN DAILY
After 5,000 years, Britian's Fortingall Yew is turning female

Amazonian natives had little impact on land, new research finds

NASA/USGS Mission Helps Answer: What Is a Forest

Elephants boost tree losses in South Africa's largest savanna reserve

SATURN DAILY
Study predicts bedrock weathering based on topography

How TIMED Flies: Unexpected Trends in Carbon Data

NASA's GRACE satellites evaluate drought in southeast Brazil

Dartmouth-led study explores wave-particle interaction in atmosphere

SATURN DAILY
Finally a promising natural nanomaterial

Umbrella-shaped diamond nanostructures make efficient photon collectors

Anti-clumping strategy for nanoparticles

Are cars nanotube factories on wheels









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.