On Jan. 14, the Huygens probe descended for two-and-a-half hours through Titan’s
atmosphere and landed on the satellite’s surface, becoming the first spacecraft
ever to directly observe the moon. Little more than an hour after landing, the
probe sent back its first shots of Saturn’s largest moon.
Just weeks prior, on Dec. 25, the probe had broken off from Cassini, the spacecraft
that had carried it to Saturn, to enter the atmosphere of Titan. Traveling around
Titan at 14,000 miles per hour for 21 days, the probe gathered information about
the satellite’s hazy atmosphere, which is believed to resemble the early
atmosphere of Earth and is potentially the most likely spot in this solar system
to find extraterrestrial life.
As Cassini continues to orbit Saturn and Huygens observes Titan, more images
will become available for analysis. Stay tuned to Geotimes
online for continuing coverage.
"Huygens
touches down on Titan," Geotimes Web Extra, Jan. 14, 2005
Back to top
 |
Geotimes Home | AGI Home | Information Services | Geoscience Education | Public Policy | Programs | Publications | Careers  |