Cassini's Got Pictures And Data

MythMoth writes "To celebrate the anniversary of the Cassini-Huygens probe's orbital insertion, NASA's JPL has a set of fifteen amazing photos from the past year. Meanwhile, the BBC reports that some of the latest science data from the mission reveals that Saturn's ring system has its own (thin) O2 atmosphere, and that the planet's rotation seems to be slowing!"

Comments

Titan's True Color OR Is That Mars...?

[__aaclcg7560]

The one picture that is supposed to show Titan's true color appears to be very similar to pictures of Mars having a bad air day. Is that picture really from Titan or did someone throw in a Mars photo?

Inquiring minds want to know. :P

Re:Titan's True Color OR Is That Mars...?

[starbird]

You can only get so much data out of those images. when you polish those images, you're just amplifying the noise in the image. Making out details that might or might not exist. Its best not to 'polish' them too much or you might infer details that really arn't there.

Can't wait for the video.

[frostman]

I hope one day we get high-definition video from these missions.

Imagine something like the the descent panorama but in the IMAX and later on your big fat TV.

Great stuff

[Robotron23]

One of the most intriguing of all the photos is likely the one of the moon Iapetus. While the other photos beautifully capture images of Titan and Saturn itself, the real object of intrigue is the geological formation on Iapetus. Near its equator theres a huge topographic ridge, which gives the moon a really unusual appearance.

Was anyone else struck by how Titan seems very similar to Mars on its surface shot? Lots of small rocks and boulders laying around its surface and a general haze present etc etc.

Why Just Pictures?

[DanielMarkham]

Seems by now we could have something a little more advanced -- holograms maybe, or at least all images as stereographs. If these robot missions are to take the place of manned exploration as some have indicated, then wouldn't it make sense to do the best you can so that people would feel they were actually there? Even the use of false color bothers me -- do people even know what the real planets look like anymore? Sky and Telescope magazine ran an article last month about how newcomers to astronomy are sometimes dissapointed when they see the real thing! It's because most of the pictures in the mass media have been "enhanced".

Certifications: Worth It Or Waste Of Time?

Titan volcano image is cool too

[amightywind]

The Titan landscape has proven to be so fantastic I hope NASA considers sending a long lived rover back soon. I think the recent Titan volcano VIMS image belongs on this list.

Cheap planet

[AndroidCat]

Imagine a planet losing seven minutes over a couple decades! If they look closely, they'll probably see that it's really a S4turn and God bought a cheap knock-off from a sidewalk vendor.

They did say that they might not be measuring it right. Still, between the swirly fluid mass of the planet, the moon system, magnetic field and whatnot, if they're correct, it would be interesting to see where Saturn's hiding all the angular momentum.

Re:Seeing as it's a vote...

[Anonymous Coward]

This is my fave: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/image -details.cfm?imageID=654

Shades of Niven

[adavies42]

Anyone else read _Integral Trees_?

Best picture not in list, unfortunately

[Thagg]

Of the pictures they have to choose from, I have to go for the pic of Iapetus. It's by far the most shocking of the pictures -- the girdling ridge around Iapetus' equator is just too weird to believe.

But, my favorite Cassini picture is this one, of the rings edge on. Here you can see a perfectly straight line, almost a quarter of a million miles long. Where else in the universe can you see such a thing?

Thad Beier