Cassini

[iBrian]

Well, we've waited a long time for this - and I can;t wait for the Huygens probe results in January, when it'll touh down on Titan, one of the most enigmatic moons in the solar system.

Just as Earth is at the triple point of water - ie, water can exist as a solid, liquid, or gas on earth - so Titan is at the triple point of Methane. And until Huygens' breaks through the biochemical smog cloudy the moon, we'll not be able to see what that looks like.

Anyway, here's some links on Cassini's successful entrance into the Saturnine system:

Probe executes first Titan flyby
Cassini sends close shots of rings

 

[alexa]

Brian,

You are to modest on U.K.'s participation in space adventure. Maybe the governement is too hesitant to spend money, but your scientists are not. The spacecraft Cassini-Huygens is the proof.

The rings of Saturn are incredible. When I think they are 200 million years old, WOW !

Still, Earth is my favorite planet.

Indeed, Titan can reserve some surprises. Maybe in billions of years, who knows, this could be another place to live in.

7 years to get to Saturn ! Mhm


alexa

 

[alexa]

Brian, are you still interested by Titan ? Here you have some nice photos :

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/media/Cassini_Multimedia_Collection(Search_Agent)_archive_1.html

Did you consider this Moon for a future SF book ?

 

[iBrian]

Cool.

Titan isn't a part of my writing - it's simply a secret of the solar system we have yet to peek into.