[X] My Assistant

[stephenv2]

I've not be able to find a good answer to this question. High resolution visible light images of all the major moons of Saturn seem to exist but I don't see anything much over 500 pixels and not very usuable. I desperately need one for my film. I realize that the hazy world may make it seems there is not much science value in this but I'm not 100% convinced of that. Plus, I suspect a really high resolution image (say a 16-image one) would be well worth the cost from a PR viewpoint and perhaps it would reveal some interesting info as well.

I have not found any real orbital/mission reason it could not be done before Cassini is finished. Anyone have any insight?

[volcanopele]

The biggest problem with creating a high-resolution visible color mosaic of Titan is the blandness of Titan's atmosphere. It would be difficult to piece the images together properly if there are no real features to set as control points. And as you point out, the science basis for using all that data volume is pretty limited.

Now, I can definitely see taking more single frame visible color images. I wonder if there is enough data volume available to splice them into out cloud monitoring observations.

[stephenv2]

The biggest problem with creating a high-resolution visible color mosaic of Titan is the blandness of Titan's atmosphere. It would be difficult to piece the images together properly if there are no real features to set as control points.

Sure, a little challenging but certainly not a reason not to do it. I would enjoy putting that mosaic together myself. I think the real issue is per the mission planning. I mean Titan is the moon we landed on - yet we don't have good photograph. Does this have anything to do with the general public's general ignorance of Huygens? This reminds of Apollo 8 and lack of planned photographs of earth. Fortunately, astronaunts with cameras were aboard and took perhaps some of the most important pictures in history.

I know if Cassini were manned we'd have a ton of nice photos of Titan. I think it's important that we get a least one before Cassini leaves.

[djellison]

we don't have good photograph.

We have the best photographs worth taking.

And please - manned spaceflight, and the manned v unmanned issue, both banned subjects at UMSF. Please read the Forum Guidelines.

[stephenv2]

Full inline quote removed - Admin

Per the manned/unmanned, I was not clear, my error. I was not trying to argue about manned vs. unmanned, I was raising for comparison the mission planning science focus vs. the value of great images to support further unmanned spaceflight.

That's the very reason I'm making this film - to hopefully raise awareness among non space image fans of the paramount importance of unmanned spaceflight and exploration.

But I do respectfully disagree that we have the best photographs worth taking. I have a long list of photographs I would like to see that don't exist.