Titan Review article |
Titan Review article |
Dec 14 2007, 05:02 PM
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#1
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Member Group: Members Posts: 613 Joined: 23-February 07 From: Occasionally in Columbia, MD Member No.: 1764 |
This just out. Not earth-shattering, but colorful - maybe handy as an up-to-date
Titan intro http://www.jhuapl.edu/techdigest/td2702/lorenz.pdf |
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Dec 27 2007, 10:12 PM
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#2
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 40 Joined: 11-November 05 Member No.: 550 |
Worldlets.....well put, I like it; I only wish I'd thought of it before you.
But what's the critical size? Anything below 600km is a worldlet? Ralph I read your 'Lifting Titan's Veil' book just before Cassin/huygens reached Saturn and enjoyed it very much, it really whetted the appetite, and am looking forward to reading the new book. I knew Titan was going to turn out to be an interesting world....but this is ridiculous. |
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Dec 27 2007, 10:41 PM
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#3
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Merciless Robot Group: Admin Posts: 8785 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
I knew Titan was going to turn out to be an interesting world....but this is ridiculous. Yeah. You guys are right. We know enough about the Solar System now to say with a high degree of confidence that Titan's the only other place that has dynamic surface processes that even remotely approach (in terms of complexity) those of Earth. (Who knows what's happening on the "surfaces", if any, of the gas giants, but doesn't matter; we can't find out with current technology anyhow.) Titan's gotta be the Cassini XM focus, and also that of all foreseeable outer-planet investigation. -------------------- A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.
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Dec 28 2007, 02:40 PM
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#4
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Member Group: Members Posts: 813 Joined: 29-December 05 From: NE Oh, USA Member No.: 627 |
Titan's gotta be the Cassini XM focus, and also that of all foreseeable outer-planet investigation. Nprev.... I would not go that far. There many mysteries begging answers and further exploration. I have to say that my choice for the next flagship mission should be the Europa Explorer. The technology is mature for a mission like that, and we need another orbiter at Jupiter to make up for the loss of downlink due to Galileo's high gain antenna problem. The Jupiter system and Europa, have much to teach us. The tech to do a decent follow on to CASSINI at Titan (balloons, landers,etc.,) just is not here as yet. Outer planet missions take a LONG time to reach their destinations, and so, for selfish reasons, if any outer planet mission is going to happen before I hit my 70's (which is not really a bad thing, I may be retired from my day job by then and able to devote more attention), it needs to be started now. That being said, I earnestly hope to be around for the next Titan (Enceladus) explorer, after CASSINI has done it's work! And Matt, thanks for the compliment on the term worldlets.... actually, I think Poul Anderson might have invented that first. As for what size object deserves that word, well.... even Itokawa has it's mysterious gravel shores, and to stand on that surface, watch the stars spin, I can well imagine exclaiming "My Wor(l)d"!!! Craig |
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