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Best Images Yet Of Saturn's Moon Titan

Posted by timothy on from the spaceporn dept.

DoraLives writes "During recent commissioning observations of a new instrument designed for a completely different purpose, the European Southern Observatory managed to grab the best imagery yet of Saturn's largest moon. Although the imagery bears more than just a passing resemblance to some of the quainter maps of other planets there's no denying the superb, sub tenth arcsecond, resolution of the new images. And of course, if that's not good enough, they're sending a a little something to land on Titan next January. Should be interesting."

24 of 156 comments (clear)

  1. Hoax by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    These images were mocked up in the GIMP.

  2. Mandatory 2001/2010 Joke by BuddieFox · · Score: 5, Funny

    they're sending a a little something to land on Titan next January.

    Well, we should be glad they are not attempting to land on Europa.

  3. I wonder... by Op7imus_Prim3 · · Score: 5, Funny

    How many posts till somebody mentions new pictures of Uranus and links to goatse?

    --
    EGG, the Electronic Gamers Guild
  4. This just in... by brxndxn · · Score: 2, Funny

    Jesse Jackson offers his services to negotiate a peace treaty between the microbes on Titan and the humans on Earth..

    --
    --- We need more Ron Paul!
    1. Re:This just in... by Nom+du+Keyboard · · Score: 4, Funny
      Jesse Jackson offers his services to negotiate a peace treaty between the microbes on Titan and the humans on Earth.

      Great! Send him!

      --
      "It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
  5. Provisional Names! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    the SDI team [1] has referred to these features informally as: the "lying H", the "dog" chasing a "ball", and the "dragon's head".

    I propose some other provisional names:

    • Blobby bit
    • Other blobby bit
    • Fuzzy Stuff
    • More Fuzzy stuff that looks like a little like a boob.
    I think these give a better description of the so-called features.
    1. Re:Provisional Names! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      I propose a petition to NASA for renaming the "dragon's head" to Trogdor

  6. Just a little bit more resolution by Nom+du+Keyboard · · Score: 3, Funny

    Just a little bit more resolution, and you'll be able to read the sign in the lower right corner that states: PRIVATE PROPERTY - NO TRESSPASSING.

    --
    "It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
  7. Can't be Titan by OldManAndTheC++ · · Score: 2, Funny

    Where are the sirens?

    --
    Soylent Green is peoplicious!
  8. Land on Titan? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Maybe they'll find the Ark of Noah there.

  9. MOD GRANDPARENT DOWN by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    He is WAY off!
    This is clearly PhotoShop!

  10. That should be good enough resolution to see ... by L0stb0Y · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...the monolith -

    --
    "We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams."
  11. Ahhh, but they will... by commodoresloat · · Score: 3, Funny

    And then I, for one, will welcome our European overlords!

    1. Re:Ahhh, but they will... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny
      and you well damn should!

      (why do I always use my Stewie Griffin voice when I say that...)

  12. Simplify your friggin fractions by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Mandatory 667/670 Joke.

  13. Re:That should be good enough resolution to see .. by Herz · · Score: 2, Funny

    The monolith was supposed to be on Japetus.

    --
    In vino vici
  14. First comment from the scientists: by kekeruusperi · · Score: 5, Funny

    "That's no moon!"

  15. USA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    I don't see how the Europeans can name the features, when Titan is clearly the property of the US.

  16. Titan by lechuck80 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Better make sure that when they send the probe they include a hand crafted replacment part for Salo.

    --
    "Mr. President, we cannot allow a mineshaft gap!"
  17. Re:dredging up the sedna debate by MouseR · · Score: 2, Funny

    here's my 2 cents:

    gas giant: anything mostly gas
    planet: anything round and mostly solid with an atmosphere
    moon: anything solid and round but without an atmosphere
    asteroid: anything not round
    Shut up already!

    You'll have Lucas sell us a reworked DVD set that includes the "Forest planet of Endor"!

  18. Bush sending ship to Titan... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Yeah, Bush heard there were WMD's there!

  19. Oil! Oil! Let's Go! by bbsguru · · Score: 5, Funny
    I can't beleive no one has posted this yet: The quoted article said:
    "Of particular interest are several large "dark" areas of uniformly low reflectivity. One possible interpretation is that they represent huge surface reservoirs of liquid hydrocarbons."
    It's Oil!

    I hereby claim this moon in the name of Texaco.

    If we can build a highway to get there, we'll be able to fill up and come back!

  20. Re:"Images" by piper-noiter · · Score: 3, Funny

    Huygens will take over 2,000 pictures (again, I don't remember the exact number) from the air of the surface of Titan. At that point in the show, I turned to my friend wispering, '2,000 desktops.' He called me a nerd.

    It does have a parachute, 2-3 depending on how you count. Now surviving the landing... thats a different story.

    --
    Shick's Law: There is no problem a good miracle can't solve.
  21. TROGDOR reference by asadodetira · · Score: 2, Funny

    Wouldn't be nice if the "dragon's head" feature would be named Trogdor the Burninator http://www.homestarrunner.com/trogdor.html