Rev 168 - June 17th-July 10th 2012 - Titan at distance, And non -targeted Tethys |
Rev 168 - June 17th-July 10th 2012 - Titan at distance, And non -targeted Tethys |
Jun 15 2012, 07:54 PM
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#1
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Member Group: Members Posts: 655 Joined: 22-January 06 Member No.: 655 |
Latest article is available
In summary, some distant Titan studies, more astrometric observations of smaller inner moons, and obs of the F-ring, and A-ring 'propellers' There's a day-and-a-half stare at 'Ymir' for light-curve data, and a non-targeted Tethys encounter at ~68,000km. This should reveal Odysseus, and the northern hemisphere in some detail - closest approach images should resemble this: |
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Jun 20 2012, 03:07 PM
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#2
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3648 Joined: 1-October 05 From: Croatia Member No.: 523 |
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Jun 29 2012, 03:00 AM
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#3
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 33 Joined: 25-March 10 Member No.: 5281 |
Wow, it looks like there's something interesting going on with this cloud on Titan. Is this a circular cloud around the pole or something?
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/imag...4/N00191673.jpg |
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Jun 29 2012, 03:17 AM
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#4
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Merciless Robot Group: Admin Posts: 8783 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
Don't think that's one of the polar regions, but I could be wrong.
VERY interesting. Also visible in a wide-angle view: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/photos/raw/rawi...?imageID=264892 -------------------- 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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Jun 29 2012, 04:16 AM
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#5
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 33 Joined: 25-March 10 Member No.: 5281 |
I was surprised that there wasn't already a conversation about this going on. The scientists doing the Titan cloud monitoring will love this. No wonder they plan so many of these observations.
ADMIN EDIT: There has been some mention of it here. |
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Jun 29 2012, 09:04 AM
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#6
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3516 Joined: 4-November 05 From: North Wales Member No.: 542 |
Titan's very own noctilucent clouds! Once again, Earth is not alone.
EDIT Here's the terrestrial version seen from space for comparison: http://cdn.physorg.com/newman/gfx/news/hir...ysteriousno.jpg |
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Jun 29 2012, 10:32 AM
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#7
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IMG to PNG GOD Group: Moderator Posts: 2250 Joined: 19-February 04 From: Near fire and ice Member No.: 38 |
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Jun 29 2012, 12:38 PM
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#8
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1419 Joined: 26-July 08 Member No.: 4270 |
-------------------- -- Hungry4info (Sirius_Alpha)
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Jun 29 2012, 12:45 PM
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#9
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1419 Joined: 26-July 08 Member No.: 4270 |
Oh goodness it spins.
(animation) Edit: It seems the programme I use to make gifs is putting some abhorrent artefacts into the animation. Hopefully someone can get a better one. -------------------- -- Hungry4info (Sirius_Alpha)
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Jun 29 2012, 01:39 PM
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#10
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Solar System Cartographer Group: Members Posts: 10151 Joined: 5-April 05 From: Canada Member No.: 227 |
Gifs don't like smooth gradients like these, especially if the bits/pixel are reduced.
Phil -------------------- ... because the Solar System ain't gonna map itself.
Also to be found posting similar content on https://mastodon.social/@PhilStooke Maps for download (free PD: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...Cartography.pdf NOTE: everything created by me which I post on UMSF is considered to be in the public domain (NOT CC, public domain) |
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Jun 29 2012, 02:17 PM
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#11
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Administrator Group: Admin Posts: 5172 Joined: 4-August 05 From: Pasadena, CA, USA, Earth Member No.: 454 |
Oh man....I have so many more things to do today.....may not be able to resist shoving it all aside to play with spinny Titan clouds.....
-------------------- My website - My Patreon - @elakdawalla on Twitter - Please support unmannedspaceflight.com by donating here.
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Jul 1 2012, 10:00 PM
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#12
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1419 Joined: 26-July 08 Member No.: 4270 |
Taking what Phil said into consideration, I increased the contrast a bit until I was satisfied.
(animation) -------------------- -- Hungry4info (Sirius_Alpha)
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Jul 1 2012, 10:45 PM
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#13
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3516 Joined: 4-November 05 From: North Wales Member No.: 542 |
You've done a fantastic job with this and, amazingly, no-one else has had a go, so thanks a million! Can you esimate the speed or period of rotation of the cloud from that?
I suppose it's not a total surprise that a circular weather feature is rotating, but a timescale would add a lot of information. Next questions: Is it a cyclone or an anticyclone? The atmospheric pressure at this level is very low (-1mb) so quite a subtle energy source could be responsible. Is there radiative heating from methane condensation in the troposphere that passes right through the stratosphere before causing convection and condensation in the mesosphere? Alternatively does heating in the troposphere heft the whole stratosphere and mesosphere upward producing the same result? It comes down to this: are the (presumably ethane) mesospheric clouds cumuliform or stratiform? I don't think we have the resolution to determine that from the images alone but maybe the scientists will pull the evidence together. Titan appears to have two weather systems one on top of the other, and going a very long way up. |
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Jul 2 2012, 01:28 AM
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#14
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1419 Joined: 26-July 08 Member No.: 4270 |
Thanks.
Can you esimate the speed or period of rotation of the cloud from that? Unfortunately not. I have no idea when exactly the images were taken.Edit: The observability of the rotation behaviour is not new. Here it is seen on Jun 8 with Titan nearly at a full phase. (animation) -------------------- -- Hungry4info (Sirius_Alpha)
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Jul 2 2012, 07:45 PM
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#15
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Member Group: Members Posts: 655 Joined: 22-January 06 Member No.: 655 |
Wow - that is quite something! and pretty unexpected too I would imagine - nice processing Hungry4info.
BTW, Tethys encounter raws are up |
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