The first pictures from Titan are in!!!!!!!

[slutticus]

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/

:bounce:





****HERE IS THE FIRST IMAGE******

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/main/index.ht...

It was taken as the probe was decending to the surface. I'm not sure the altitute at which it was taken.




01.14.05 (2:45 p.m. ET) - This image taken from NASA TV shows one of the first raw, or unprocessed, images from the European Space Agency's (ESA's) Huygens probe as it descended to Saturn's moon Titan. It was taken with the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer, one of two NASA instruments on the probe.




Here's an enhanced version from CNN:

http://cnn.com

[Richardo]

1. Thanks, Doctor!

Woo!

[slutticus]

2. Next transmission at 4PM CST

Sorry I couldn't get a screenshot of the image. I don't think ESA has made a press release yet.

[redqueen]

3. Thank you, Dr. Slutti!

:hi:

[DelawareValleyDem]

4. Don't show them to Wal-Mart

they'll be scoping out prime real estate for a new store.

[slutticus]

8. LOL

I don't know...It looked pretty treacherous. Lots of canyons and stuff.

[On the Road]

5. Thanks. But I Couldn't Find the Image

The NASA TV clip doesn't include Titan. Where do I look?

[slutticus]

7. The feed was live, so it's gone now.

Sorry I didn't capture the image. I'm waiting for the ESA to post the raw image data. As soon as I get that, I'll post it here. Even before the media has it (well...hopefully!)

The next live update is at 4PM CST. Try the link then. They should have better images at that time (closer to the surface).

[SmileyBoy]

6. They don't have them on the site yet.

I'll check again later tonight.

[Lex]

9. Try this link for some info

.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/whycassini/30dec_titan.html

----------

On Jan. 14, 2005, the European Space Agency's Huygens probe will descend to the surface of Saturn's largest moon.

Get ready for two of the strangest hours in the history of space exploration.

Two hours. That's how long it will take the European Space Agency's Huygens probe to parachute to the surface of Titan on January 14th. Descending through thick orange clouds, Huygens will taste Titan's atmosphere, measure its wind and rain, listen for alien sounds and, when the clouds part, start taking pictures.
Artist's concept of Huygens' descent

No one knows what the photos will reveal. Icy mountains? Liquid methane seas? Hot lightning? "It's anyone's guess," says Jonathan Lunine, a professor of planetary science at the University of Arizona and a member of the Huygens science team. "We might not even understand what we see, not immediately."

Such is Titan--the biggest mystery in the solar system.

Astronomers have been watching Titan, Saturn's largest moon, for centuries. From Earth it looks like a pinprick of light orbiting the ringed planet--nothing extraordinary. But when NASA's Voyager spacecraft flew by Titan in 1980, observers realized it was something special. Titan is huge: bigger than the planets Mercury and Pluto. It has a huge atmosphere, too: three times taller than Earth's and one and a half times as massive. The air on Titan is choked with organic compounds akin to smog. Some of these molecules are building blocks of life. Could life begin on a world where the surface temperature dips 290o F below zero? "Probably not," says Lunine, but, again, no one knows.

Titan's orange clouds hide its surface and, maybe, some pretty bizarre things. There's methane (CH4) in Titan's atmosphere. Here on Earth methane comes from, e.g., cows and bogs. On Titan ... no one knows where it comes from. Because Titan is so cold, its methane can liquefy and rain down from the skies possibly filling lakes and seas on the ground. Liquid methane has about the same appearance and viscosity as ordinary water, but it's some 300o F colder. Lakes on Titan, if they exist, might look like lakes on Earth, but they certainly won't be the same.

[XNASA]

10. I'm sure it's part of "NASA Video File".....

It will run again at 6P and 10P Eastern, I think.

[slutticus]

11. *****Here is the first Image*****

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/main/index.html

It was taken as the probe was decending to the surface. I'm not sure the altitute at which it was taken.




01.14.05 (2:45 p.m. ET) - This image taken from NASA TV shows one of the first raw, or unprocessed, images from the European Space Agency's (ESA's) Huygens probe as it descended to Saturn's moon Titan. It was taken with the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer, one of two NASA instruments on the probe.

[roguevalley]

12. Miles O'brien is having an epiphany on CNN. He's the only thing

on CNN that still amuses me. That looks like elephant skin. The JDL gal on CNN said that the dark area is a sea of paint thinner. Those are rivers, among the elephantine folds.

[Lex]

13. Here's a good link for a slideshow of the first pics

that are coming in:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?g=events/sc/113004nasacassini&a=&tmpl=sl&ns=&l=&e=1&t=&prev=4

[Guaranteed]

14. That is some unbelievable stuff.

A moon of Saturn. Mind-blowing.

[DrWeird]

24. A lot of people protested Cassini.

I wonder how they feel now.

[radfringe]

15. OH MY GAWWWD --- I think I see

Jesus winking at me...

seriously, thanks for the post and links!

[Book Lover]

16. Yay science!

In your face, superstition and fear! "Oh, it can't be done"? I don't think so! "If man were meant to fly, he'd have wings"? Sorry, old man; we're flying high...

Seriously now, thanks for posting the pix :-) I'm having a lot of trouble getting thru NASA's site...

[CatBoreal]

17. Way Cool Gang!

Thanks for posting this everyone!

My astronomy nut husband is drooling on my shoulder as we speak!

[slutticus]

18. ******MORE IMAGES*****

From Space.com

http://space.com/missionlaunches/huygens_images_050114.html


Here's one from an altitude of 8km.

The white areas might be water ice clouds or maybe methane
or ethane clouds. Just to give you an idea, Methane boils
at -161.6 °C, so the temp on Titan has to be lower
than this for the methane to be a liquid.
That's freakin cold!






Here's one from the ground.

Those might be rocks or big water ice chunks.

[Pithlet]

19. Thank you for posting!

I got goosebumps just knowing I'm actually looking at real footage from another moon. It's fascinating.

[slutticus]

20. Kick

[Lex]

21. kickin'

'cause this stuff is cool . . .

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/main/index.html

[claudiajean]

22. Thank you for posting these shots! Coolest. Thread. Ever.

[eyepaddle]

23. Given it a

:kick:

[Lex]

25. If you get the "Discovery Science" Channel

on your cablebox, there is a special on right now (and comes on again) about Titan and the voyage to Titan.

Really interesting.

[LiviaOlivia]

26. kick

[slutticus]

27. ***********LATEST IMAGES***********

From the ESA website http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMTKR71Y3E_index_1.html


Composite image during descent of the Huygens probe

This composite was produced from images returned yesterday, 14
January 2005, by ESA's Huygens probe during its successful descent to
land on Titan. It shows a full 360-degree view around Huygens. The
left-hand side, behind Huygens, shows a boundary between light and
dark areas. The white streaks seen near this boundary could be ground
'fog' of methane or ethane vapour, as they were not immediately
visible from higher altitudes. As the probe descended, it drifted over
a plateau (centre of image) and was heading towards its landing site
in a dark area (right). This dark area is possibly a drainage channel
which might still contain liquid material. From the drift of the
probe, the wind speed has been estimated at around 6-7 metres per
second. These images were taken from an altitude of about 8 kilometres
with a resolution of about 20 metres per pixel.

Credits: ESA/NASA/University of Arizona

________________________________________________________

Here's an image which gives an idea of the scale of the features seen on the surface

This raw image was returned yesterday, 14 January 2005, by ESA's
Huygens probe during its successful descent to land on Titan. Sizes
have been added to indicate scale of these features. Initially thought
to be rocks or ice blocks, they are more pebble-sized. The two rock-
like objects just below the middle of the image are about 15
centimetres (left) and 4 centimetres (centre) across respectively, at
a distance of about 85 centimetres from Huygens. The surface is
darker than originally expected, consisting of a mixture of water and
hydrocarbon ice. There is also evidence of erosion at the base of
these objects, indicating possible fluvial activity.


Credits: ESA/NASA/University of Arizona

______________________________________________________

Here is a processed image to give you an idea of the color on the
surface of Titan

This image was returned yesterday, 14 January 2005, by ESA's
Huygens probe during its successful descent to land on Titan. This is
the coloured view, following processing to add reflection spectra
data, gives a better indication of the actual colour of the surface.
Initially thought to be rocks or ice blocks, they are more pebble-
sized. The two rock-like objects just below the middle of the image
are about 15 centimetres (left) and 4 centimetres (centre) across
respectively, at a distance of about 85 centimetres from Huygens. The
surface is darker than originally expected, consisting of a mixture of
water and hydrocarbon ice. There is also evidence of erosion at the
base of these objects, indicating possible fluvial activity.


Credits: ESA/NASA/University of Arizona