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Titan Flyby – Nov. 19, 2007

Titan's detached, high-altitude haze layer encircles its smoggy globe in this ultraviolet view, which also features the moon's north polar hood. The northern hemisphere is currently in its Winter season.

Saturn's moon Titan was backlit by the sun during Cassini's flyby on Nov. 19. Scientists will use data from the flyby to study the density of Titan's atmosphere. All instruments on the spacecraft performed as planned, but rain over the Deep Space Network complex in Madrid, Spain, interfered with the data transfer to Earth. About 10 percent of the data was not received during the initial playback period, but the highest priority missing data is scheduled to be replayed over the Deep Space Network downlink pass on the evening of Nov. 20.

This is Cassini's 38th targeted encounter with Titan. Two more Titan flybys are planned for this year on December 5 and 20. Over the next several months, Cassini's orbit will be climbing to a higher inclination around Saturn. By July of 2008, Cassini will be looking down at Saturn and the rings from about 75 degrees inclination.

Date
Nov. 19, 2007

Altitude
621 miles (1000 km)

Speed
14,000 mph (6.3 km/sec)