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Titan-PIA14602.jpgTitan (Natural Colors; credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute)95 visiteCaption NASA:"Titan's Atmosphere makes Saturn's largest moon look like a 'fuzzy orange ball' in this Natural Color view from the Cassini Spacecraft. Titan's North Polar Hood is visible at the top of the image, and a faint blueish Haze also can be detected above the South Pole at the bottom of this view. Recent Cassini images suggest Titan's North Polar Vortex, or 'Hood', is beginning to flip from North to South (see PIA14913). This view looks toward the Anti-Saturn Side of Titan. North is up.
Images taken using red, green and blue spectral filters were combined to create this Natural Color view. The images were obtained with the Cassini Spacecraft wide-angle camera on Jan. 30, 2012 at a distance of approximately 119.000 miles (about 191.000 Km) from Titan. Image scale is roughly 7 miles (about 11 Km) per pixel".MareKromium
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Titan-PIA14626-PCF-LXTT-IPF.jpgAt Titan's Poles (Absolute Natural Colors; credits for the additional process. and color.: Dr Paolo C. Fienga - Lunar Explorer Italia/Italian Planetary Foundation) 70 visiteTitan's South Polar Vortex seems to "float" above the moon's South Pole in this NASA - Cassini Spacecraft view. The Vortex, which is a mass of gases swirling around the South Pole, high in the moon's Atmosphere, can be easily seen in the lower right of this view. On the other hand, Titan's Northern "Hood" is also well visible, since it covers almost all the Northern Regions of this always mysterious and fascinating Saturnian moon. This view looks toward the Leading Hemisphere of Titan (which is approx. 3200 miles, or about 5150 kilometers across). North on Titan is up and rotated 25° to the left.
The image was taken with the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft Narrow-Angle Camera on July 6, 2012, using a Spectral Filter sensitive to wavelengths of Near-InfraRed light, centered at 889 nanometers. The view was acquired at a distance of approximately 1,7 Million Miles (such as about 2,8 Million Kilometers) from Titan and at a Sun-Titan-Spacecraft, or Phase, Angle of 86°. Scale in the original image was about 11 miles (such as approx. 17 Km) per pixel. Afterwards, the image has been contrast enhanced and magnified, so to improve the visibility of the most interesting Features existing in the Titanian Atmosphere.
This picture (which is an Original NASA - Cassini Spacecraft frame published on the NASA - Planetary Photojournal with the ID n. PIA 14626) has been additionally processed and then colorized, according to an informed speculation carried out by Dr Paolo C. Fienga (LXTT-IPF), in Absolute Natural Colors (such as the colors that a human eye would actually perceive if someone were onboard the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft and then looked outside, towards the Saturnian moon Titan), by using an original technique created - and, in time, dramatically improved - by the Lunar Explorer Italia Team. Different colors, as well as different shades of the same color, mean, among others, the existence of different Elements present in the Atmosphere of Titan, each having a different Albedo (---> Reflectivity) and Chemical Composition.MareKromium
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Titan-PIA14634-PCF-LXTT-IPF.jpgSeasonal or Permanent? (Absolute Natural Colors; credits for the additional process. and color.: Dr Gianluigi Barca/Lunar Explorer Italia/Italian Planetary Foundation)77 visiteEven though it is still nighttime at the South Pole, the Vortex, which swirls high in the Sky of Titan, is already illuminated by the Sunlight and stands out (relatively) brightly against the other - and possible Water-Ice - Clouds that can be seen to the left of the Terminator (still near the South Polar Regions of Titan, but on the daytime side of this complex and fascinating Saturnian moon). The NASA - Cassini Spacecraft, as you have noticed, keeps monitoring very carefully the development of this South Polar Vortex (a true Titanian Oddity anyway), so to help Scientists and Researchers from all over the World to better understand the (perhaps just) seasonal changes that occur in the Atmosphere of Titan.
This outstanding view looks toward the Trailing Hemisphere of Titan; North is up and rotated 9° to the left. The image was taken with the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft Narrow-Angle Camera on Aug. 31, 2012, using a Spectral Filter sensitive to Wavelengths of Near-InfraRed Light, centered at 938 nanometers. The view was acquired at a distance of approximately 750.000 miles (such as about 1,2 Million KiloMeters - MKM) from Titan and at a Sun-Titan-Spacecraft, or Phase, Angle of 74°. Image scale is about 4 miles (such as approx. 6,4 Km) per pixel.
This picture (which is an Original NASA - Cassini Spacecraft b/w frame published on the NASA - Planetary Photojournal with the ID n. PIA 14634) has been additionally processed and then colorized, according to an informed speculation carried out by Dr Paolo C. Fienga (LXTT-IPF), in Absolute Natural Colors (such as the colors that a human eye would actually perceive if someone were onboard the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft and then looked outside, towards the Saturnian moon Titan), by using an original technique created - and, in time, dramatically improved - by the Lunar Explorer Italia Team. Different colors, as well as different shades of the same color, mean, among others, the existence of different Elements present in the Atmosphere of Titan, each having a different Albedo (---> Reflectivity) and Chemical Composition.MareKromium
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Titan-PIA14663-PCF-LXTT-IPF.jpgFensal, Aztlan and Kraken Mare (Absolute Natural Colors; credits for the additional process. and color.: Dr Paolo C. Fienga/Lunar Explorer Italia/Italian Planetary Foundation)56 visiteAlthough it is almost completely hidden from human eyes, the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft can still spot a few dark Features on the Surface of Titan thanks to its special Near-InfraRed Filters. The Surface Features visible here, near the Equatorial Belt, have been dubbed "Fensal" and "Aztlan" by Planetary Scientists and they are believed to be vast (---> large and very long) Dunes made of Particles of Dust (mixed-up with, most likely, other Elements) that precipitated out of the Atmosphere of Titan (but some other possibilities about their origin and composition can also be well considered); on the other hand, near the North Pole of Titan, it is also well visible the largest body of liquids existing on this fascinating Saturnian moon, such as the Kraken Mare.
Furthermore, just barely visible right on top of the South Pole, the huge Vortex that was spotted quite some time ago and that keeps Planetary Scientists busy trying to understand the actual reasons that caused its sudden formation, as well as and the amount of time during which it will still remain active (obviously assuming that such a Vortex is just a seasonal and not a - now - permanent phenomenon).
This view looks toward the Saturn-facing Hemisphere of Titan; North is up and rotated 32° to the right (Dx) and the image was taken with the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft Narrow-Angle Camera on April 13, 2013 using a Spectral Filter sensitive to Wavelengths of Near-InfraRed Light centered at 938 nanometers. The view was acquired at a distance of approximately 1,2 Million Miles (such as about 1,93 Million KiloMeters) from Titan and at a Sun-Titan-Cassini Spacecraft, or Phase, Angle of 4°. The image scale is roughly 7 miles (such as about 11,26 Km) per pixel.
This picture (which is an Original NASA - Cassini Spacecraft b/w frame published on the NASA - Planetary Photojournal and identified by the n. PIA 14663) has been additionally processed, magnified and then colorized, according to an educated guess carried out by Dr Paolo C. Fienga (LXTT-IPF), in Absolute Natural Colors (such as the colors that a human eye would actually perceive if someone were onboard the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft and then looked outside, towards the Saturnian moon Titan), by using an original technique created - and, in time, dramatically improved - by the Lunar Explorer Italia Team. Different colors, as well as different shades of the same color, mean, among others, the existence of different Elements present in the Atmosphere of Titan, each having a different Albedo (---> Reflectivity) and Chemical Composition.
Note: it is possible (but we, as IPF, have no way to be one-hundred-percent sure of such a circumstance), that the actual luminosity of the Clouds and Hazes (as well as the luminosity of Titan itself) seen in this frame would appear, to an average human eye, way lower than it has been shown (or, better yet: interpreted) here.MareKromium
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Titan-PIA14913-0.jpgThe South Polar Atmosphere of Titan (CTX Frame - Natural Colors; credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute)128 visiteCaption NASA:"These views from NASA's Cassini Spacecraft look toward the South Polar Regions of Saturn's largest moon, Titan, and show a "Depression" within the moon's Orange and Blue Haze Layers visible near the South Pole. The EDM (close-up) view of these features was captured with the narrow-angle camera.
Titan's High Altitude Haze Layer appears Blue here whereas the Main Atmospheric Haze is orange. The difference in color could be due to particle size of the Haze. The Blue Haze likely consists of smaller particles than the ones forming the Orange Haze. The "Depressed" or "Attenuated" Layer appears in the Transition Area between the Orange and Blue Hazes.
Images taken using red, green and blue spectral filters were combined to create this Natural Color view. The images were obtained on Sept. 11, 2011 at a distance of approximately 83.000 miles (about 134.000 Km) from Titan. Image scale is 2581 feet (787 meters) per pixel".MareKromium
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Titan-PIA14913-1.jpgThe South Polar Atmosphere of Titan (EDM - Natural Colors; credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute)146 visitenessun commentoMareKromium
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Titan-PIA14919.jpgTitan's South Polar Vortex (True Colors; credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute)74 visiteCaption NASA:"This frame (taken by the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft) shows us a South Polar Vortex or, in other words, a swirling Mass of Gas (and, perhaps, even other - heavier - Elements), which is located in the Upper Atmosphere, and approximately over the South Pole, of the Saturnian moon Titan. This Swirling Mass appears to complete one full rotation in about 9 (nine) hours - meaning a much faster period than the moon's 16 (sixteen)-days Rotation Period. The South Pole of Titan (which is about 3200 miles, or 5150 Km, across) is right under the Vortex.
Since the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft arrived in the Saturnian System, in 2004, Titan has shown a visible "Hood", such as an area of denser (when compared to the rest of the moon's Atmosphere) High Altitude Haze, high above the North Pole, but this is the first time that a similar phenomenon is seen above its South Pole. As a matter of fact, it was Northern Winter on Titan at the time of the arrival of the Cassini Spacecraft, and therefore much of its High Northern Latitudes was then in the darkness. But the Hood was high enough to still be illuminated by Sunlight. However, seasons have been changing since Saturn's August 2009 Equinox, which signaled the beginning of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the start of Fall (---> Autumn) in the Southern one, both for Saturn and for its very many moons. As a consequence of this season's changing, now the High Southern Latitudes are the ones moving into darkness, and the formation of this Vortex at Titan's South Pole may be related to the incoming Southern Winter and - maybe - the subsequent beginning of what could well be a South Polar Hood.
These new, more detailed images are only possible because of the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft newly inclined orbits, whose re-definition is part of the next phase of the Cassini Solstice Mission. Previously, Cassini was orbiting along the Equatorial Plane of Titan, and so the imaging team's pictures of the Polar Vortex (in the period between late March and mid-May), were taken from over Titan's Equator. At that time, however, the images taken by the Spacecraft only showed a brightening (or yellowing) of the detached Haze Layer located on the Limb (or Edge) of the Visible Disk of Titan, right over its South Polar Regions".MareKromium
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Titan-PIA16635-PCF-LXTT-IPF-1.jpgTitanian Northern Lakes (Absolute Natural Colors; credits for the additional process. and color.: Dr Paolo C. Fienga/Lunar Explorer Italia/Italian Planetary Foundation)67 visiteThe Lakes existing on the Saturnian moon Titan, reflect Radio Waves in varying ways, as it can be noticed in this Radio-Image obtained by the the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft. Scientists think the variations in Reflectivity, or Brightness, have to be related with the smoothness (such as the so-called "texture") of the imaged Surface. However, if a Lake is fully liquid, it always looks VERY dark (actually black); but if it is only partially liquid, then it looks a lot brighter. In this frame, taken from Titan's High Northern Latitudes (such as at approx. 79° North Latitude and 58° West Longitude) on May, 22, 2012, the Lakes located on on the left (Sx) side of it are full of Liquid Hydrocarbons, while the ones - barely visible - located on the top right (Dx) of the picture are only partially filled - it has to be said, however, that what can be seen on the right side of the frame, could even be the representation of simple Saturated Ground (---> a Surface Feature - or, better yet, a Surface "Condition" - known as "Mudflat" ---> Mudflats or Mud Flats, also known as Tidal Flats, are Coastal Wetlands that form when huge quantities of Mud are deposited by the action of Oceanic Tides or particularly fast-flowing Rivers).
The Lakes visible in this image are each about 35 to 45 Km (such as approx. 22 to 30 miles) across, or about the size of Lake Tahoe, on the California-Nevada Border. Some of the differences in Reflectivity could also be explained by the presence, in the Lakes, of floating blocks of Hydrocarbon Ice. The image was obtained by the Cassini Radar Mapper at a scale of about 350 meters (1100 feet) per pixel.
This frame (which is a crop obtained by an Original NASA - CASSINI Spacecraft Radio-Image published on the NASA - Planetary Photojournal with the n. PIA 16635), since it is just a Radio-Image of the Titanian Surface and NOT a real view of it, has been colorized, according to an educated guess, by Dr Paolo C. Fienga (LXTT-IPF), in what they could reasonably be its possible Absolute Natural Colors (such as the colors that a human eye would perceive if someone were onboard the NASA - CASSINI Spacecraft and, once the thick layer of Titanian Hazes and Fogs shall have been completely overcome, looked down, towards the Surface of Titan itself), by using an original technique created - and, in time, dramatically improved - by the Lunar Explorer Italia Team.MareKromium
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Titan-PIA17151-PCF-LXTT-IPF.jpgTitanian Restlessness (Absolute Natural Colors; credits for the additional process. and color.: Dr Paolo C. Fienga/Lunar Explorer Italia/Italian Planetary Foundation)78 visiteTitan's restless Upper Atmosphere puts on a display with the "detached" Haze to the North (---> the so-called "North Polar Hood" - top of image) and the Polar Vortex to the South.
This view looks toward the Saturn-facing Hemisphere of Titan; North is up and rotated 24° to the left. The image was taken with the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft Narrow-Angle Camera on August 20, 2013 using a Spectral Filter sensitive to Wavelengths of Near-InfraRed Light centered at 889 nanometers. The view was obtained at a distance of approximately 1,6 Million Miles (such as a little less than 2,575 Million KiloMeters) from Titan; the image scale is roughly 9 miles (such as approx. 14,484 Km) per pixel.
This frame (which is an Original NASA - CASSINI Spacecraft's b/w and NON Map-Projected image published on the NASA - Planetary Photojournal with the ID n. PIA 17151) has been additionally processed, contrast enhanced, magnified to aid the visibility of the details, Gamma corrected and then colorized - according to an educated guess (or, if you wish, an informed speculation) carried out by Dr Paolo C. Fienga - in Absolute Natural Colors (such as the colors that a human eye would actually perceive if someone were onboard the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft and then looked outside, towards the Saturnian moon "Titan"), by using an original technique created - and, in time, dramatically improved - by the Lunar Explorer Italia Team. Different colors, as well as different shades of the same color, mean, among other things, the existence of different Elements (Gases) present in the Atmosphere of Titan, each having a different Albedo (---> Reflectivity) and Chemical Composition.
Note: it is possible (but we, as IPF, have no way to be one-hundred-percent sure of such a circumstance), that the actual luminosity of Titan - as it is in this frame - would appear, to an average human eye, a little bit lower than it has been shown (or, better yet: interpreted) here.MareKromium
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Titan-PIA21624.jpgDouble Titan136 visiteCaption NASA:"These two views of Saturn's moon Titan exemplify how NASA's Cassini Spacecraft has revealed the Surface of this fascinating world.
Cassini carried several instruments to pierce the veil of hydrocarbon haze that enshrouds Titan. These include the Spacecraft's Radar and the Visual and InfraRed Mapping Spectrometer, or VIMS. The mission's imaging cameras also have several spectral filters sensitive to specific wavelengths of InfraRed Light that are able to make it through the Haze to the Surface and back into space. These "spectral windows" have enable the imaging cameras to map nearly the entire surface of Titan.
In addition to Titan's Surface, images from both the imaging cameras and VIMS have provided windows into the moon's ever-changing Atmosphere, chronicling the appearance and movement of Hazes and Clouds over the years. A large, bright and feathery band of Summer Clouds can be seen arcing across high Northern Latitudes in the view at right (Dx).
These views were obtained with the Cassini Spacecraft Narrow-Angle Camera on March 21, 2017. Images taken using red, green and blue spectral filters were combined to create the Natural-Color View on the left (Sx).
The false-color view at right (Dx) was made by substituting an InfraRed image (centered at 938 nanometers) for the red color channel.
The views were acquired at a distance of approx. 613.000 miles (such as a little more than 986.000 Km) from Titan and the Image Scale is roughly 4 miles (such as approx. 6,437 Km) per pixel".MareKromium
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Titan-PIA21890.jpgTitan116 visiteCaption NASA Originale:"As it glanced around the Saturn system one final time, NASA's Cassini Spacecraft captured this view of the planet's giant moon Titan. Interest in mysterious Titan was a major motivating factor to return to Saturn with Cassini-Huygens following the Voyager mission fly-bys of the early 1980s. Cassini and its Huygens probe, supplied by the ESA (European Space Agency), revealed the moon to be every bit as fascinating as scientists had hoped.
These views were obtained by Cassini's Narrow-Angle Camera on Sept. 13, 2017. They are among the last images Cassini sent back to Earth.
This natural color view, made from images taken using red, green and blue spectral filters, shows Titan much as Voyager saw it - a mostly featureless golden orb, swathed in a dense Atmospheric Haze. An enhanced-color view (such as this one) adds to this color a separate view taken using a spectral filter (centered at 938 nanometers) that can partially see through the haze.
The views were acquired at a distance of about 481.000 miles (such as approx. 774.094,464 Km) from Titan. The image scale is about 3 miles (roughly 4,828 Km) per pixel".MareKromium
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Titan-PIA21902.jpgThe uneven Atmosphere of Titan138 visiteLe diverse stratificazioni dell'Alta Atmosfera di Titano sono ben visibili in questa foto CASSINI dell'ormai lontano AD 2005.
In questo frame, ci appare del tutto evidente che la densità dell'Atmosfera di Titano NON é strettamente correlata all'altezza della stessa (ergo delle sue nuvole e nebbie) rispetto al Datum (Altitudine Zero); le turbolenze (e quindi anche la composizione chimica dell'Atmosfera) sembrano estendersi e rivolgersi, a volte, da strati più bassi verso quelli più alti, mentre, in altri casi, sembra avvienire esattamente l'opposto.
Questa conclusione é stata basata sull'esame di immagini sequenziali che coprissero la medesima Regione Titaniana per svariati minuti (o decine di minuti). In questo frame le innumerevoli "disomogeneità" sono del tutto palesi.
Non possiamo neppure escludere l'esistenza di (violentissime) correnti convettive le cui cause, tuttavia, non sono ancora chiare.
Caption NASA Originale:"In this view, individual Layers of Haze can be distinguished in the Upper Atmosphere of Titan, Saturn's largest moon. Titan's Atmosphere features a rich and complex chemistry originating from Methane and Nitrogen (---> Azoto) and evolving into complex molecules, eventually forming the "Smog! that surrounds the moon (even at extremely lower altitudes).
This Natural Color image was taken in Visible Light with the Cassini Spacecraft wide-angle camera on March 31, 2005, at a distance of approximately 20.556 miles (such as about 33.081,67 Km) from Titan. The view looks toward the North Polar Regions on the moon's Night-Side. Part of Titan's sunlit crescent is visible at right (Dx).
The Cassini Spacecraft ended its mission on Sept. 15, 2017".MareKromium
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