The lakes of Titan

E. R. Stofan (), C. Elachi, J. I. Lunine, R. D. Lorenz, B. Stiles, K. L. Mitchell, S. Ostro, L. Soderblom, C. Wood, H. Zebker, S. Wall, M. Janssen, R. Kirk, R. Lopes, F. Paganelli, J. Radebaugh, L. Wye, Y. Anderson, M. Allison, R. Boehmer, P. Callahan, P. Encrenaz, E. Flamini, G. Francescetti, Y. Gim, G. Hamilton, S. Hensley, W. T. K. Johnson, K. Kelleher, D. Muhleman, P. Paillou, G. Picardi, F. Posa, L. Roth, R. Seu, S. Shaffer, S. Vetrella and R. West
Additional contact information
E. R. Stofan: Proxemy Research
C. Elachi: California Institute of Technology
J. I. Lunine: University of Arizona
R. D. Lorenz: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab
B. Stiles: California Institute of Technology
K. L. Mitchell: California Institute of Technology
S. Ostro: California Institute of Technology
L. Soderblom: US Geological Survey
C. Wood: Wheeling Jesuit University and Planetary Science Institute
H. Zebker: Stanford University
S. Wall: California Institute of Technology
M. Janssen: California Institute of Technology
R. Kirk: US Geological Survey
R. Lopes: California Institute of Technology
F. Paganelli: California Institute of Technology
J. Radebaugh: University of Arizona
L. Wye: Stanford University
Y. Anderson: California Institute of Technology
M. Allison: National Aeronautics and Space Administration New York
R. Boehmer: California Institute of Technology
P. Callahan: California Institute of Technology
P. Encrenaz: Observatoire de Paris
E. Flamini: Alenia Aerospazio
G. Francescetti: Facoltá di Ingegneria
Y. Gim: California Institute of Technology
G. Hamilton: California Institute of Technology
S. Hensley: California Institute of Technology
W. T. K. Johnson: California Institute of Technology
K. Kelleher: California Institute of Technology
D. Muhleman: California Institute of Technology
P. Paillou: Observatoire Aquitain des Sciences de l’Univers UMR 5804
G. Picardi: Universitá La Sapienza
F. Posa: Politecnico di Bari
L. Roth: California Institute of Technology
R. Seu: Universitá La Sapienza
S. Shaffer: California Institute of Technology
S. Vetrella: Facoltá di Ingegneria
R. West: California Institute of Technology

Nature, 2007, vol. 445, issue 7123, 61-64

Abstract: Titan's lakes revealed The existence of oceans or lakes of liquid methane on Saturn's moon Titan was predicted more than twenty years ago. But with a dense haze preventing a closer look, it has not been possible to confirm their presence. Until the Cassini flyby of 22 July 2006 that is. Radar imaging data from the flyby, published this week, provide convincing evidence for large bodies of liquid. The cover gives a taste of what Cassini saw. Intensity in this image (colorized — though not as a representation of what the human eye would see) is proportional to the logarithm of radar backscatter cross-section. The lakes, darker than the surrounding terrain, are emphasized here by tinting regions of low backscatter blue and radar-brighter regions tan. The strip of radar imagery is about 140 km wide, and is foreshortened to simulate an oblique view of the highest latitude region, seen from a point to its west.

Date: 2007
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DOI: 10.1038/nature05438

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