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Titan Photos and Sounds
ahsile writes "NASA and the ESA have released the first images
from Titan. The ESA also has available sounds from the surface." Reader ZZip writes: "Apparently a bunch of enthusiasts has compiled the first mosaics from the raw data delivered by the Huygens probe. Meanwhile space.com has more coverage and pictures from NASA/ESA." Say a silent thank-you to the persistent troubleshooters of the world, without whom none of this would be possible.
Scientists normally don't like to speculate when examining data. But in this article at SpaceflightNow.com, Torrance Johnson, a member of the NASA Cassini imaging team, can't speculate enough abou interpreting the first picture from Titan. First we are told that "researchers expected Huygens to find a truly alien landscape under the smoggy haze. They got what they wanted." Then Johnson says,
"Surprises are always the things that get you."
Earth to Tor: There are no surprises here. We're seeing pretty much exactly what we expected to see. Apparently Johnson did a few more bong hits and then proclaimed that the first picture from the surface showed a field of ice boulders that exhibited signs of weathering and erosion. Cool.
Unfortunately, updated information indicates that the objects in that picture are only a few inches across: not much more than pebbles, really. Way to go there, Tor.
Notice that Tor Johnson (wasn't that the name of the guy in those Ed Wood movies?) works for NASA, not the ESA. This is significant only in that CBS would rather speak to an American than one of the ESA project scientists. Odds are CBS didn't even realize the Huygens probe wasn't a NASA/JPL program. I see 3 possibilities:
1. Tor Johnson was paid by CBS to speculate on the pictures and, with NASA's blessing, spewed forth with his uneducated opinion on what they showed and unremarkable insight on scientific discovery.
2. Tor Johnson is talking out his ass.
3. Tor Johnson was stoned when he made his comments.
More than one may be true. To me the only surprise is that it's so hard to identify anything at all on the ground with certainty from the mosaic taken at around 8,000 meters altitude. Are the light areas ice, clouds or fog? Are the dark areas liquid or frozen flats?
I hope there is enough data returned to answer these questions after it's been examined by scientists more informed than Torrence Johnson. Where is the panorama mosaic taken from 1,000 meters up? I've posted on this subject before. The Huygens probe was a waste IMO because it wasn't designed to return enough useful data to make a significant difference in what we already know about Titan. I hope I'm wrong, but when all is said and done I predict we won't have any really new information about Titan other than an atmospheric wind speed and temperature profile. We all want hard scientific data, true, but the public at large that pays for these things wants PICTURES, DAMMIT! And lots of them.
Score:
Cassini 24,000
Huygens 3
Tor 0