Cassini spots Titan shoreline
Posted: Sun, Sep 18, 2005, 6:51 AM ET (1051 GMT)
NASA's Cassini spacecraft has observed what scientists believe is a shoreline of a past or present sea on the surface of Saturn's largest moon, Titan. Radar images taken by Cassini show what scientists have interpreted to be a shoreline separating bright and dark regions, representing regions that are rough and smooth, respectively. Brightness patterns in the dark area led scientists to believe that the region was once flooded with a liquid that has since at least partially receded. The radar images also show a set of features running through the bright terrain that may be drainage channels. Prior to Cassini's arrival scientists anticipated that some portions of Titan's surface might be covered by lakes or seas of liquid hydrocarbons, but observations to date have failed to turn up much evidence of such bodies.
NASA's Cassini spacecraft has observed what scientists believe is a shoreline of a past or present sea on the surface of Saturn's largest moon, Titan. Radar images taken by Cassini show what scientists have interpreted to be a shoreline separating bright and dark regions, representing regions that are rough and smooth, respectively. Brightness patterns in the dark area led scientists to believe that the region was once flooded with a liquid that has since at least partially receded. The radar images also show a set of features running through the bright terrain that may be drainage channels. Prior to Cassini's arrival scientists anticipated that some portions of Titan's surface might be covered by lakes or seas of liquid hydrocarbons, but observations to date have failed to turn up much evidence of such bodies.
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