The Moon of Lakes and Rivers - Saturn’s moon Titan
Saturn’s moon Titan is the only world - other than earth - that we know has liquid’s pooled on its surface. Unlike Earth, Titan has lakes of liquid methane - you wouldn’t want to swim in these lakes.
Titan’s “methane cycle” is analogy to Earth’s water cycle. In the 3rd and 4th images above we can see clouds of methane in Titan’s atmosphere. Ever since NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft, we have known that the gases that make up Titan’s brown colored haze were hydrocarbons. The atmosphere of Titan is largely nitrogen; minor components lead to the formation of methane–ethane clouds and nitrogen-rich organic smog.
It is thanks to the Cassini spacecraft that we now understand more about the climate of Titan - though we still understand very little!
The Cassini Space craft has mapped most of the Northern polar region of Titan, this is the region that contains almost all of Titan’s lakes. Cassini is systematically sweeping across Titan and mapping the surface of this strange alien world. The image below is an example of Cassini’s mapping process:
Antique illustration showing how Saturn would float in water if there were a ocean big enough to hold it.
Saturn, the sixth planet from the Sun, has beautiful rings omposed of ice particles. It is the second largest planet in the Solar System, yet it is the least dense (water has a density of 1.0 grams per cm cubed, while Saturn has a density of 0.69 grams per cm cubed), which means it would float in water if there were a bathtub large enough to hold it.
Saturn is mainly composed of hydrogen and helium and does not have a solid surface. It has 25 satellites that measure at least 10km in diameter - the largest, Titan, is the only moon in the Solar System with a substantial atmosphere.
Saturn’s interior is thought to contain fluid metallic hydrogen - a substance that cannot be studied directly because it is not possible to recreate the very high temperatures and pressures at which it is predicted to form.
Here is a series of posters I did for my senior show. They’re inspired by major milestones in space exploration. (my professors probably wouldn’t like me posting this online for all to see, but I do what I want)
This graphic presents a view of Pluto and Charon as they would appear if placed slightly above Earth’s surface and viewed from a great distance.
Recent measurements obtained by New Horizons indicate that Pluto has a diameter of 2370 km, 18.5% that of Earth’s, while Charon has a diameter of 1208 km, 9.5% that of Earth’s.
Modern geometric illustrations of Planets of the Solar System.
These infographic illustrations feature a history of scientific exploration. Probes, satellites, space stations, etc., highlighting the achievements of man in astronomic discovery. Each illustration also features the distance from the Sun, rotational period in days/years and the number of confirmed, natural satellites.
Some gifs I made from Erik Wernquist’s brilliant short film, Wanderers. All the locations depicted are digital recreations of actual locations in our solar system. If you haven’t seen it, drop what you’re doing and watch it now. It even features narration by Carl Sagan. [2/2]
Geological surveying/sampling of materials and surface features were carried out along with deploying/activating surface experiments to study the moon’s interior, such as: Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) which contained a heat flow experiment); lunar seismic profiling (LSP); lunar surface gravimeter (LSG); lunar atmospheric composition experiment (LACE); in-flight experiments and photographic tasks during lunar orbit and transearth coast; biomedical experiments; and a host of notable achievements, capitalizing on the preceding Apollo 15 mission.
Apollo 17 landing site, photographed in 2011 by Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter [x].
Apollo 17 broke the record for longest manned lunar landing flight; longest total lunar surface extravehicular activities; largest lunar sampling return; and longest time in lunar orbit; also recognized as the first ever night launch of a U.S. human spaceflight and the final crewed launch of a Saturn V rocket. On that evening (12:33AM EST) at Kennedy Space Center, over 500,000 people were estimated to have watched the launch within the vicinity of the KSC.
Before reentering the Lunar Module (LM) for the final time on the lunar surface, NASA Astronaut Commander Gene Cernan spoke to the world:
“…I’m on the surface; and, as I take man’s last step from the surface, back home for some time to come - but we believe not too long into the future - I’d like to just [say] what I believe history will record. That America’s challenge of today has forged man’s destiny of tomorrow. And, as we leave the Moon at Taurus-Littrow, we leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind. “Godspeed the crew of Apollo 17.”
