Enceladus Plume Search, Nov. 27 |
Enceladus Plume Search, Nov. 27 |
Nov 24 2005, 04:01 PM
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#1
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1465 Joined: 9-February 04 From: Columbus OH USA Member No.: 13 |
Interesting item in the science plan kernel (S16) just released to the NAIF website:
OBSERVATION_ID: S1629 SEQUENCE: S16 OBSERVATION_TITLE: Plume Search SCIENCE_OBJECTIVE: Hope to detect/observe plumes, whether from volcanic activity or geysers. OBS_DESCRIPTION: Point and stare. SUBSYSTEM: ISS PRIMARY_POINTING: ISS_NAC to Enceladus (0.0,5.0,0.0 deg. offset) REQUEST_ID: ISS_018EN_PLUMES001_PRIME REQUEST_TITLE: ENCELADUS Geyser/Plume Search REQ_DESCRIPTION: 1;ENCELADUS Geyser/Plume Search 1x1xNPp -- 3 different exposures BEGIN_TIME: 2005 NOV 27 19:00:00 UTC END_TIME: 2005 NOV 27 20:00:00 UTC -------------------- |
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Nov 28 2005, 01:31 PM
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#2
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1887 Joined: 20-November 04 From: Iowa Member No.: 110 |
Possible plume? Doesn't look like a lens flare.
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Nov 28 2005, 01:38 PM
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#3
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3652 Joined: 1-October 05 From: Croatia Member No.: 523 |
QUOTE (alan @ Nov 28 2005, 03:31 PM) Amazing images!!! IMHO, these prove, without a doubt that there's some very significant venting occuring on Enceladus. I could go on calling them genuine eruptions (Io, anyone? ) as well, the choice of rotating the spacecraft to discriminate from the possible scattered light problems was also very ingenious. Most definitely one of the most significant Cassini results as of yet. Detecting outgassing is one thing, seeing it is completely different! EDIT: Looks like Rhea won't be prime news even in this rev, actually devoted to its close flyby -------------------- |
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Nov 28 2005, 01:49 PM
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#4
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IMG to PNG GOD Group: Moderator Posts: 2256 Joined: 19-February 04 From: Near fire and ice Member No.: 38 |
This is the first time I see something like this that is not obviously an imaging artifact.
What's interesting is that the spacecraft has been rotated to make recognizing artifacts to due scattered light within the camera easier. I find it extremely interesting that the possible plumes appear roughly identical in all of the images despite the varying rotation. Also in the overexposed images a very large 'cloud' appears that does not appear next to the nightside limb (only against the bright limb) so this cannot be a diffuse ring in the background. Still not totally convinced these are plumes but this looks very promising. |
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Nov 28 2005, 02:12 PM
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#5
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Interplanetary Dumpster Diver Group: Admin Posts: 4405 Joined: 17-February 04 From: Powell, TN Member No.: 33 |
I am at work, or I would do this myself, but someone ought to try matching them up to a map - if the bright area match tiger stripes, I will be fully convinced, and Enceladus will join the Io-Triton club of moons in my book.
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Nov 28 2005, 02:18 PM
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#6
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IMG to PNG GOD Group: Moderator Posts: 2256 Joined: 19-February 04 From: Near fire and ice Member No.: 38 |
QUOTE (tedstryk @ Nov 28 2005, 02:12 PM) I am at work, or I would do this myself, but someone ought to try matching them up to a map - if the bright area match tiger stripes, I will be fully convinced, and Enceladus will join the Io-Triton club of moons in my book. I'm at work too but the first thing I'll do at home is use the SPICE kernels to make a computer rendering with a lat/lon grid. Unfortunately my planetary renderer (written by me) is in a state of chaos at the moment because I'm adding some new features to it but hopefully I can make it work fairly easily for this special occasion. Murphy's law at work... |
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