The glow of Titan's extensive atmosphere shines in false colors in this view of Saturn's gas-enshrouded moon acquired by the Cassini spacecraft visual and infrared mapping spectrometer during a July 2, 2004, flyby. This image is a combination of near-infrared colors, each of which probes different phenomena in the moon.
Cassini Completes First Titan Visit of the New Year
The Cassini spacecraft successfully flew by Titan on Jan. 5. Its visual and infrared mapping spectrometer mapped the Huygens probe's landing site, now in direct sunlight. The flyby featured two separate stellar occultations to study the structure of Titan's atmosphere. The spectrometer watched the star Alpha Bootes, and the ultraviolet imaging spectrograph pointed toward Alpha Lyra.
Titan Flyby at a Glance
Date
Jan. 5, 2008
Altitude
628 miles (1,010 km)
Speed
14,000 mph (6.3 km/sec)
