[X] My Assistant

[jmknapp]

Here's an animation of the Jan. 15 flyby:

T10 flyby animation, 2.3MB AVI

A list of some of the activities:

CIRS_020TI_FIRNADIRCOMPINT_01

Obtain information on trace constituents in Titan's stratosphere. Integrate on limb at two positions POINTING: Obtain information on CO, HCN, CH4. Integrate on disk at airmass 1.5-2.0. POINTING: -y to Titan, x away from sun.


ISS_020TI_MONITORNA001_PRIME
NAC Monitoring of Surface and Atmosphere
monitoring for surface/atmosphere changes; attempt to see surface color variations; monitor limb hazes, 1-3 km/px

MAG_020TI_MAGTITAN001_PRIME
T10 Flyby
T 10 is an interesting upstream encounter with a minimum distance of 2071 km which reaches into the middle ionosphere. Together with T 8 and T 6 it allows to reconstruct the upstream equatorial ionospheric pile-up region. Since it repeats T 8 and T 6 to some extent the priority is smaller than T 6 and T 8, but still in the range of grade one priority.

NOTE: - continuous data rate of 1976bps (32vps).


MIMI_020TI_T10INBND001_ISS
MAPS 020TI(T10) Campaign
Part of 020TI(T10) MAPS Campaign. Investigate micro-scale and near aspects of the Titan interaction by observing during about one hour period around an encounter. With -Y pointed toward Titan, when within 30 minutes of the targeted flyby, optimize secondary axis for corotation flow as close to the S/C -X, +/- Z plane as works with the other constraints on pointing. Also, measure Titan exosphere/magnetosphere interaction by imaging in ENA with INCA (when sun is not in INCA FOV).

RPWS_020TI_TIINTRMED001_PRIME
Titan Interaction - Intermediate
Study the interaction of the magnetosphere with Titan at intermediate
distances for evidence of ion pickup, radio emissions, density profiles,
and the general wave environment. Prefer Langmuir probe within 90
degrees of plasma ram.

UVIS_020SU_USUNOCC001_PRIME
USUN_T10
This is a Titan solar occulation with both ingress and egress.
1) Turn from waypoint to Titan. EUV solar occultation port centered on sun at start time: 2006-015T11:15:00. +X to Titan Center
2) Take data from start time: 2006-015T11:15:00 until 1st activity stop: 2006-015T11:48:00. 3) Take data from 2nd activity start: 2006-015T11:53:00 until activity end time: 2006-015T12:27:00.
3) Turn to waypoint and reset pointing.

MP_020TI_FLYBYT010_NA
2006JAN15 11:41 UTC - 2006JAN15 11:41 UTC
Targeted inbound 2043 km flyby, v = 5.8 km/s, phase = 120 deg

MP_020EA_OCCTITAN020_NA
2006JAN15 11:49 UTC - 2006JAN15 12:03 UTC
Earth occulted by TITAN duration = 14 min; egress = 2006-015T12:04

MP_020SU_OCCTITAN020_NA
2006JAN15 11:49 UTC - 2006JAN15 12:03 UTC
Sun occulted by TITAN duration = 13 min; egress = 2006-015T12:03

CIRS_020TI_FIRLIMB_INTEG_01
Vertical sounding stratospheric compounds on Titan, including H2O. Integrations at 2 locations on the limb displaced vertically. POINTING: -y to Titan, z within 45 degrees of normal to limb.

ISS_020TI_AURORAE001_VIMS
WAC Nightside Imaging
search for and monitor lightning/aurora

Also stealing some of the limelight on Jan. 15, Stardust will return samples from Comet Wild to Earth.

Jan. 15 in space exploration history:

2008: First Messenger flyby of Mercury
2004: MER Spirit drives onto the surface of Mars
2001: Stardust spacecraft flys by earth
1962: Apollo Spacecraft Project Office established

all hail Google...

[Ames]

Solarized the image and got...




Curious don't you think?

Nick

[jmknapp]

BTW, this was the scheduled activity at the time of these observations:

begin: 2006JAN15 19:41 UTC
end: 2006JAN16 02:24 UTC

ISS_020TI_NIGHTNAC002_PRIME NAC Nightside Imaging: search for and monitor lightning/aurora

[odave]

Hmmm - it could be an aurora - check out some of the views of Earth's aurorae from space:

GSFC
APOD

They were taken at a much lower altitude, of course...

[djellison]

Who know - perhaps it is. Earth Aurora are based around Oxygen emissions irrc, whereas Titanian Aurora would be based on what I assume must be Methane?

Doug

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[belleraphon1]

Who know - perhaps it is.  Earth Aurora are based around Oxygen emissions irrc, whereas Titanian Aurora would be based on what I assume must be Methane?

Doug

I believe that the excitiation would more likely come from the nitrogen.

Be that as it may, as edstrick pointed out, CASSINI has not detected an intrinsic magnetic field for Titan. I wonder if the plasma from Saturn's magnetic field could cause something like this as it impacts the Titan atmosphere? Or is there some electric or magnetic field that gets generated as a buffer tha protects the atmosphere?

Do we have a mag person on this blog?

Craig

[djellison]

I believe that the excitiation would more likely come from the nitrogen.

Well - that's what I thought initially, given that Nitrogen is the main gas there, BUT, it's 'most' of the gas here on earth, and I was under the impression that it's mainly Oxygen and other gases, not Nitrogen that cause the earth aurora - BUT - on further reading, the red aurora on earth are indeed Nitrogen based, so one can only assume that Titan aurora would be in the same ballpark.

Doug

[Ames]

Who know - perhaps it is.  Earth Aurora are based around Oxygen emissions irrc, whereas Titanian Aurora would be based on what I assume must be Methane?

Doug

And the "Artifact" is indeed evident in red in your multi spectral image (if your colour allocations are indicative of the filter colours)

Not totally convinced yet! but...

Nick

[djellison]

That freakier one was indeed nIR, G, B

Doug

[ugordan]

And the "Artifact" is indeed evident in red in your multi spectral image (if your colour allocations are indicative of the filter colours)

You need to be VERY careful when making statements like this about uncalibrated, stretched raw images. If the colors were correct and assuming RGB or RGV filters, Titan's dayside (at least parts that weren't overexposed) should have turned out orange in color.

[dvandorn]

Solarized the image and got...




Curious don't you think?

Nick

That looks like it supports my plume theory!

-the other Doug

[dilo]

The plume/aurora hypothesis is very intriguing, but also in my opinion this is an image artifact.
In the following color image, I combined 3 pictures taken with IR3+CL2, IR2+CL2 and MT3+CL2 (RGB respectively)...

the circular features appear always in the same, exact position, while the coulored Titan edges suggest a subject movement (note also the two moving stars in the upper region); so the features appear fixed to optical system and do not follow Titan.
As further confirm, I stretched another image taken earlier and closer (C1+VIO) showing a very weak feature in the same position, but far from Titan edge!

About solarized image by Ames, this "plume" do not appear at all in another image taken with same filters but different pointing:

So, the plume is probably an artifact related to residual solar light, entering the optics and reflected/diffused under this particular geometry.
Still to be explained why this feature is evident only in infrared images, while do not appear with V/UV filters or is very weak (look to the following B3C2 image):

[djellison]

Yup - I'm back in the artifact camp now

Doug

[edstrick]

Just as long as the artifact isn't an orbiting semi-gloss finish coated black monolith....

That would be weirder than this whatever it is.... I think.

Stop Dave, my mind is going...

[tty]

Be that as it may, as edstrick pointed out, CASSINI has not detected an intrinsic magnetic field for Titan. I wonder if the plasma from Saturn's magnetic field could cause something like this as it impacts the Titan atmosphere? Or is there some electric or magnetic field that gets generated as a buffer tha protects the atmosphere?

Do we have a mag person on this blog?

Craig

It could be a local magnetic field over a magnetic anomaly. I seem to remember that weak auroras have been observed over such areas on Mars.

tty

[jmknapp]

It could be a local magnetic field over a magnetic anomaly.

Titan Magnetic Anomaly 1? The 2001 Moon monolith was called TMA-1, for "Tycho Magnetic Anomaly."