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Unmanned Spaceflight.com _ Titan _ The jet stream of Titan

Posted by: AlexBlackwell Jan 24 2007, 05:31 PM

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens/SEMQO5SMTWE_0.html
ESA News Release
24 January 2007

Posted by: The Messenger Jan 24 2007, 11:29 PM

QUOTE (AlexBlackwell @ Jan 24 2007, 10:31 AM)

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens/SEMQO5SMTWE_0.html
ESA News Release
24 January 2007

QUOTE

Analysing the shape of the flash showed that Titan’s atmosphere was flattened at the north pole.

I don't doubt this, in fact I think we have seen this in Cassini images, but what remains very puzzling is why the 'atmospheric drag' experienced by Cassini in the polar pass was about the same as that experienced in passes at lower lattitudes.

Posted by: remcook Jan 25 2007, 10:32 AM

Whereas the north polar stratosphere is extremely cold compared to the equator, its stratopause is much warmer than at the equator. Cassini passes even a lot higher than the stratopause. Not sure about temperatures there, but density may well be the same as at the equator.