Cassini photographs Titan's lakes and seas

[Ace88*]

http://www.iflscience.com/space/titans-polar-seas-glint-sunlight

However, the latest image is the first to combine the two. With three small exceptions, Titan's lakes and seas sit in the northern polar region, and through the hemisphere's long winter the sun never reached them. “Specular reflections can only be seen when the Cassini spacecraft is in the right place relative to the sun and Titan such that the mirror-like reflection from a lake reflects sunlight directly to the spacecraft," NASA pointed out when the first reflection images were released. "They require the sun to be above the horizon at the location of the lake, which is why none were visible until after Titan's northern spring equinox in 2009 when the seas became illuminated,â€

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[ihaveyuidonttouchme]

idk why but Titan is just awesome
cool name too

 

[Sevanston]

Cassini is just too cool.

 

[Ace88*]

What makes it even cooler is that in order for these photos to happen all kinds of variables had to line up at the right time. Really special set of images here.

 

[Tek_Jansen]

Totally amazing, I'm surprised to read the hydrocarbon seas are all in the northern part of Titan, I presumed the were all over. Wonder what the rest of the topography is like? It's bitter sweet seeing these kinds of things and realizing how close we are to sending people to the other planets and moons but still far enough that we are unlikely to see it.

 

[hatterson]

Totally amazing, I'm surprised to read the hydrocarbon seas are all in the northern part of Titan, I presumed the were all over. Wonder what the rest of the topography is like? It's bitter sweet seeing these kinds of things and realizing how close we are to sending people to the other planets and moons but still far enough that we are unlikely to see it.

Honestly it's just a case of drive to do it.

If we were to have a national drive to land a person on Mars in the same way there was with the moon landing, you'd be surprised how fast things would come together.

NASA's budget in the mid-last 60s is 2.5-3x what it is now (adjusted for inflation).

If you gave them a massive increase in budget and a singular goal, we'd likely see manned mars missions before 2025.

 

[LadyStanley]

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=4695

And pictures from Dionne

 

[ecemleafs]

i see a face on dione

 

[Led Zappa]

Well, Cassini bit the Dust as planned on the 15th.

Nice article https://mynewsla.com/life/2017/09/15/death-of-nasas-cassini-saturn-spacecraft-20-years-vaporized/

Just watched the Nova Ep Death Dive to Saturn, which is actually just the lead up to the Dive and an overview of what has been discovered so far. Certainly recommended viewing.

http://www.pbs.org/video/death-dive-to-saturn-oiqvx2/

Looking forward to the analysis of the final descent.

 

[chicagoskycam]

Honestly it's just a case of drive to do it.

If we were to have a national drive to land a person on Mars in the same way there was with the moon landing, you'd be surprised how fast things would come together.

NASA's budget in the mid-last 60s is 2.5-3x what it is now (adjusted for inflation).

If you gave them a massive increase in budget and a singular goal, we'd likely see manned mars missions before 2025.

We see independents working on it like Space X and it shouldn't be a NASA sole venture. It should be an international endeavor.