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California Fires Mid-Novembe
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One hundred eighty-seven hom
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11/27/08
| Description |
One hundred eighty-seven homes were destroyed by the Freeway Fire in Southern California in mid-November 2008. Driven by Santa Ana winds, the fire exploded out of the Chino Hills into communities at the foothills of the mountains. More than 30,000 acres were scorched by the fire. This natural-color image of the burned area was captured by the Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on NASA's Earth Observing-1 satellite on November 18, 2008. The top image shows the Chino Hills north of Riverside Freeway and west of Chino Valley Freeway, a mostly undeveloped area that encompasses Chino Hills State Park. Small cities and residential areas encircle the mountains. The burned area is charcoal, and it stretches across most of the Chino Hills. The lower image is a detailed view of the edge of the burned area in northwestern Yorba Linda. The fire crossed Telegraph Canyon and made forays southwestward into neighborhoods. One arm of the fire encircled Carbon Canyon Regional Park. Southeast of the Riverside Freeway (shown in the large image), is a part of Chino Hills State Park called the Coal Canyon area. The area has a dull greenish-brown color that is typical for the dry woodland/chaparral ecosystems native to the area. (In this part of California, bright green vegetation is the product of irrigation, for example, golf courses and lawns.) The Coal Canyon area was added to China Hills State Park in 2000, and it was the only part of the 14,000-acre park that was not burned, according to local news reports. NASA image by Robert Simmon, based on data provided by the EO-1 Mission Office. Caption by Rebecca Lindsey. |
| Date |
11/27/08 |
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Mars 2003 Rover
This artist's rendering show
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7/27/00
| Date |
7/27/00 |
| Description |
This artist's rendering shows a side view of NASA's Mars 2003 Rover as it sets off on its exploration of the red planet. The rover is scheduled for launch in June 2003 and will arrive at Mars in January 2004 with an airbag-shielded landing shell. The Mars 2003 Rover will carry five scientific instruments and a rock abrading tool. The instruments include a Panoramic Camera and a Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer, both on the large mast shown on the front of the rover. A Mossbauer Spectrometer, an Alpha-Proton X-ray Spectrometer, and a Microscopic Imager are located on a robotic arm that is tucked under the front of the rover, as is a Rock Abrasion Tool that will grind away the outer surfaces of rocks to determine the nature of rock interiors. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars 2003 Rover for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY is the lead institution for the science payload. ##### |
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Mars 2003 Rover
This is a close-up view of t
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7/27/00
| Date |
7/27/00 |
| Description |
This is a close-up view of the arm on NASA's Mars 2003 Rover that contains several of the scientific instruments. The Microscopic Imager is being extended toward the rock, the Alpha-Proton X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) is pointing back toward the rover body, the Mossbauer spectrometer is pointing away from the viewer (i.e., toward the rover's left front wheel), and the Rock Abrasion Tool is pointing toward the viewer. The rover is set for launch in June 2003 and will arrive at Mars in January 2004. JPL will manage the Mars 2003 Rover for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY is the lead institution for the science payload. |
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Titan Descent Data Movie wit
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| Description |
Here on the Gallery page you can find the very latest images, videos and products from the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn, including the spectacular launch, spacecraft assembly and the exciting trip to Saturn. |
| Full Description |
This movie, built with data collected during the European Space Agency's Huygens probe on Jan. 14, 2005, shows the operation of the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer camera during its descent and after touchdown. The camera was funded by NASA. The almost four-hour-long operation of the camera is shown in less than five minutes. That's 40 times the actual speed up to landing and 100 times the actual speed thereafter. The first part of the movie shows how Titan looked to the camera as it acquired more and more images during the probe's descent. Each image has a small field of view, and dozens of images were made into mosaics of the whole scene. The scientists analyzed Huygens' speed, direction of motion, rotation and swinging during the descent. The movie includes sidebar graphics that show: * (Lower left corner) Huygens' trajectory views from the south, a scale bar for comparison to the height of Mount Everest, colored arrows that point to the sun and to the Cassini orbiter. * (Top left corner) A close-up view of the Huygens probe highlighting large and unexpected parachute movements, a scale bar for comparison to human height. * (Lower right corner) A compass that shows the changing direction of view as Huygens rotates, along with the relative positions of the sun and Cassini. * (Upper right corner) A clock that shows Universal Time for Jan. 14, 2005 (Universal Time is 7 hours ahead of Pacific Daylight Time). Above the clock, events are listed in mission time, which starts with the deployment of the first of the three parachutes. Sounds from a left speaker trace Huygens' motion, with tones changing with rotational speed and the tilt of the parachute. There also are clicks that clock the rotational counter, as well as sounds for the probe's heat shield hitting Titan's atmosphere, parachute deployments, heat shield release, jettison of the camera cover and touchdown. Sounds from a right speaker go with the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer activity. There's a continuous tone that represents the strength of Huygens' signal to Cassini. Then there are 13 different chimes - one for each of instrument's 13 different science parts - that keep time with flashing-white-dot exposure counters. During its descent, the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer took 3,500 exposures. The Huygens probe was delivered to Saturn's moon Titan by the Cassini spacecraft, which is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. NASA supplied two instruments on the probe, the descent imager/spectral radiometer and the gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The descent imager/spectral radiometer team is based at the University of Arizona, Tucson. For, more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . Credit: ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona |
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A View from Huygens - Jan. 1
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| Description |
Here on the Gallery page you can find the very latest images, videos and products from the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn, including the spectacular launch, spacecraft assembly and the exciting trip to Saturn. |
| Full Description |
This movie was built with data collected during the 147-minute plunge through Titan's thick orange-brown atmosphere to a soft sandy riverbed by the European Space Agency's Huygens Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer on Jan. 14, 2005, In 4 minutes and 40 seconds, the movie shows what the probe 'saw' within the few hours of the descent and the landing. On approach, Titan appeared as just a little disk in the sky among the stars, but after landing, the probe's camera resolved little grains of sand millions of times smaller than Titan. At first, the Huygens camera just saw fog over the distant surface. The fog started to clear only at about 60 kilometers (37 miles) altitude, making it possible to resolve surface features as large as 100 meters (328 feet). Only after landing could the probe's camera resolve the little grains of sand. The movie provides a glimpse of such a huge change of scale. A music-only version of the video is available at: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA08118. The Huygens probe was delivered to Saturn's moon Titan by the Cassini spacecraft, which is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. NASA supplied two instruments on the probe, the descent imager/spectral radiometer and the gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The descent imager/spectral radiometer team is based at the University of Arizona, Tucson. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov. Credit: ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona |
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Go Huygens!
| Description |
Go Huygens! |
| Full Description |
This map illustrates the planned imaging coverage for the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer, onboard the European Space Agency's Huygens probe during the probe's descent toward Titan's surface on Jan. 14, 2005. The Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer is one of two NASA instruments on the probe. The colored lines delineate regions that will be imaged at different resolutions as the probe descends. The site where Huygens is predicted to land is marked with a yellow dot. This area is in a boundary between dark and bright regions. This map was made from the images taken by the Cassini spacecraft cameras on Oct. 26, 2004, at image scales of 4 to 6 kilometers (2.5 to 3.7 miles) per pixel. The images were obtained using a narrow band filter centered at 938 nanometers - a near-infrared wavelength (invisible to the human eye) at which light can penetrate Titan's atmosphere to reach the surface and return through the atmosphere to be detected by the camera. The images have been processed to enhance surface details. Only brightness variations on Titan's surface are seen, the illumination is such that there is no shading due to topographic variations. For about two hours, the probe will fall by parachute from an altitude of 160 kilometers (99 miles) to Titan's surface. During the descent the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer and five other science instruments will send data about the moon's atmosphere and surface back to the Cassini spacecraft for relay to Earth. The Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer will take pictures as the probe slowly spins, and some of these will be made into panoramic views of Titan's surface. The first map (PIA06172) shows expected coverage by the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer side-looking imager and two downward-looking imagers - one providing medium-resolution and the other high-resolution coverage. The planned coverage by the medium- and high-resolution imagers is the subject of this map (PIA06173). The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging team is based at the Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colo. The Descent Imager/Spectral team is based at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . For images visit the Cassini imaging team home page http://ciclops.org . *Credit*: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute |
| Date |
January 11, 2005 |
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First Color View of Titan's
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| Description |
First Color View of Titan's Surface |
| Full Description |
This image was returned yesterday, January 14, 2005, by the European Space Agency's Huygens probe during its successful descent to land on Titan. This is the colored view, following processing to add reflection spectra data, and gives a better indication of the actual color of the surface. Initially thought to be rocks or ice blocks, they are more pebble-sized. The two rock-like objects just below the middle of the image are about 15 centimeters (about 6 inches) (left) and 4 centimeters (about 1.5 inches) (center) across respectively, at a distance of about 85 centimeters (about 33 inches) from Huygens. The surface is darker than originally expected, consisting of a mixture of water and hydrocarbon ice. There is also evidence of erosion at the base of these objects, indicating possible fluvial activity. The image was taken with the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer, one of two NASA instruments on the probe. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The Descent Imager/Spectral team is based at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm . Credit: ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona |
| Date |
January 15, 2005 |
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First Images from Titan
| Description |
First Images from Titan |
| Full Description |
These are the first raw images returned by the ESA Huygens probe DISR camera after the probe descended through the atmosphere of Titan. *(Right)* This image shows the surface of Titan with ice blocks strewn around. The size and distance of the blocks will be determined when the image is properly processed. *(Top Left)* This image was taken from an altitude of 16.2 kilometers with a resolution of approximately 40 meters per pixel. It apparently shows short, stubby drainage channels leading to a shoreline. *(Bottom Left)* This image was taken at an altitude of 8 kilometers with a resolution of 20 meters per pixel. It shows what could be the landing site, with shorelines and boundaries between raised ground and flooded plains. The images were taken with the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer, one of two NASA instruments on the probe. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The Descent Imager/Spectral team is based at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz. *Credit*: ESA/NASA/University of Arizona |
| Date |
January 14, 2005 |
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Expected Footprints of 36-Im
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| Description |
Expected Footprints of 36-Image Panoramas from Huygens Camera |
| Full Description |
This map of a portion of the surface of Saturn's moon Titan shows predictions for the areas that will be covered by selected combinations of images anticipated from the camera on the Huygens probe as it descends through Titan's atmosphere on Jan. 14, 2005. The map is made from data acquired by the visual and infrared mapping spectrometer aboard the Cassini orbiter during the orbiter's flyby of Titan in October 2004. Cassini released the Huygens probe in December 2004. The octagons indicate anticipated fields of view of panoramic mosaics of images taken by Huygens' descent imager and spectral radiometer instrument as the probe reaches certain altitudes during its descent. This map shows the footprints for mosaics to be assembled from 36 individual images at each altitude, with the field of view cut off at 75 degrees from straight down although the actual images will extend all the way to the hazy horizon. Each mosaic made this way will be about 1,300 by 1,300 pixels. The largest octagon (in red) is about 1,120 kilometers (696 miles) across and represents the field of view for the mosaic of images taken at an altitude of 150 kilometers (93 miles). From that height, individual pixels in the center of the image will be about 150 meters (492 feet) across, though haze between the ground and the camera at that height will likely degrade the resolution in those images. The progressively smaller octagons are the anticipated fields of view from altitudes of 90 kilometers (60 miles), 50 kilometers (30 miles) and 30 kilometers (19 miles). In all, the camera is expected to acquire panoramic mosaics at a total of 20 different altitudes from 150 kilometers (93 miles) down to about 3 kilometers (2 miles). The pixel size in the mosaic from 3 kilometers high will be about 3 meters (10 feet) across. In addition, the camera is expected to obtain individual images down to an altitude of about 200 meters (656 feet) with pixel size as small as 20 centimeters (8 inches). The location of the anticipated landing site is based on modeling of Titan's winds, and the actual landing site will be different if the actual winds experienced by Huygens during descent differ from this model. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The visible and infrared mapping spectrometer team is based at the University of Arizona, Tucson. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit, http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov. For more information about the visual and infrared mapping spectrometer visit http://wwwvims.lpl.arizona.edu/. *Image Credit*: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona/USGS |
| Date |
January 13, 2005 |
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Go Huygens!
| Description |
Go Huygens! |
| Full Description |
This map illustrates the planned imaging coverage for the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer, onboard the European Space Agency's Huygens probe during the probe's descent toward Titan's surface on Jan. 14, 2005. The Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer is one of two NASA instruments on the probe. The colored lines delineate regions that will be imaged at different resolutions as the probe descends. On each map, the site where Huygens is predicted to land is marked with a yellow dot. This area is in a boundary between dark and bright regions. This map was made from the images taken by the Cassini spacecraft cameras on Oct. 26, 2004, at image scales of 4 to 6 kilometers (2.5 to 3.7 miles) per pixel. The images were obtained using a narrow band filter centered at 938 nanometers - a near-infrared wavelength (invisible to the human eye) at which light can penetrate Titan's atmosphere to reach the surface and return through the atmosphere to be detected by the camera. The images have been processed to enhance surface details. Only brightness variations on Titan's surface are seen, the illumination is such that there is no shading due to topographic variations. For about two hours, the probe will fall by parachute from an altitude of 160 kilometers (99 miles) to Titan's surface. During the descent the camera on the probe and five other science instruments will send data about the moon's atmosphere and surface back to the Cassini spacecraft for relay to Earth. The Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer will take pictures as the probe slowly spins, and some these will be made into panoramic views of Titan's surface. This map (PIA06172) shows the expected coverage by the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer side-looking imager and two downward-looking imagers - one providing medium-resolution and the other high-resolution coverage. The planned coverage by the medium- and high-resolution imagers is the subject of the second map (PIA06173). The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging team is based at the Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colo. The Descent Imager/Spectral team is based at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . For images visit the Cassini imaging team home page http://ciclops.org . *Credit*: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute |
| Date |
January 11, 2005 |
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Composite of Titan's Surface
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| Description |
Composite of Titan's Surface Seen During Descent |
| Full Description |
This composite was produced from images returned yesterday, January 14, 2005, by the European Space Agency's Huygens probe during its successful descent to land on Titan. It shows a full 360-degree view around Huygens. The left-hand side, behind Huygens, shows a boundary between light and dark areas. The white streaks seen near this boundary could be ground 'fog,' as they were not immediately visible from higher altitudes. As the probe descended, it drifted over a plateau (center of image) and was heading towards its landing site in a dark area (right). From the drift of the probe, the wind speed has been estimated at around 6-7 kilometers (about 4 miles) per hour. These images were taken from an altitude of about 8 kilometers ( about 5 miles) with a resolution of about 20 meters (about 65 feet) per pixel. The images were taken by the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer, one of two NASA instruments on the probe. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The Descent Imager/Spectral team is based at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm . Credit: ESA/NASA/Univ. of Arizona |
| Date |
January 15, 2005 |
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Huygens at Titan 2
| Description |
Huygens at Titan 2 |
| Full Description |
This is one of the first raw images returned by the ESA Huygens probe during its successful descent. It was taken from an altitude of 16.2 kilometres with a resolution of approximately 40 metres per pixel. It apparently shows short, stubby drainage channels leading to a shoreline. It was taken with the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer, one of two NASA instruments on the probe. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The Descent Imager/Spectral team is based at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz. *Credit*: ESA/NASA/University of Arizona http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/image-details.cfm?imageID=1300 This is one of the first raw images returned by the ESA Huygens probe during its successful descent.It was taken at an altitude of 8 kilometers with a resolution of 20 meters per pixel. It shows what could be the landing site, with shorelines and boundaries between raised ground and flooded plains. It was taken with the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer, one of two NASA instruments on the probe. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The Descent Imager/Spectral team is based at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz. *Credit*: ESA/NASA/University of Arizona |
| Date |
January 14, 2005 |
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Huygens at Titan 1
| Description |
Huygens at Titan 1 |
| Full Description |
This raw image was returned by the ESA Huygens DISR camera after the probe descended through the atmosphere of Titan. It shows the surface of Titan with ice blocks strewn around. The size and distance of the blocks will be determined when the image is properly processed. It was taken with the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer, one of two NASA instruments on the probe. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The Descent Imager/Spectral team is based at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz. *Credit*: ESA/NASA/University of Arizona |
| Date |
January 14, 2005 |
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Composite of Titan's Surface
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| Description |
Composite of Titan's Surface Seen During Descent |
| Full Description |
This composite was produced from images returned yesterday, January 14, 2005, by the European Space Agency's Huygens probe during its successful descent to land on Titan. It shows a full 360-degree view around Huygens. The left-hand side, behind Huygens, shows a boundary between light and dark areas. The white streaks seen near this boundary could be ground 'fog,' as they were not immediately visible from higher altitudes. As the probe descended, it drifted over a plateau (center of image) and was heading towards its landing site in a dark area (right). From the drift of the probe, the wind speed has been estimated at around 6-7 kilometers (about 4 miles) per hour. These images were taken from an altitude of about 8 kilometers ( about 5 miles) with a resolution of about 20 meters (about 65 feet) per pixel. The images were taken by the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer, one of two NASA instruments on the probe. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The Descent Imager/Spectral team is based at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm . Credit: ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona |
| Date |
January 15, 2005 |
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First 'Best-Guess' View of H
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| Description |
First 'Best-Guess' View of Huygens Landing Site |
| Full Description |
A view of Huygens' probable landing site based on initial, best-guess estimates. Scientists on the Huygens Descent Imager/ Spectral Radiometer (DISR) science team are still working to refine the exact location of the probe's landing site, but they estimate that it lies within the white circle shown in this image. The Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer is one of two NASA instruments on the probe. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The Descent Imager/Spectral team is based at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz. *Image credit*: ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona |
| Date |
January 18, 2005 |
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Huygens descending on Titan
| Description |
Huygens descending on Titan |
| Full Description |
The artist's concept shows the European Space Agency's Huygens probe descent sequence. The animation shows the Huygens probe's entry, descent and landing, with the descent imager/spectral radiometer lamp turned on at the end. The probe was delivered to Saturn's moon Titan by the Cassini spacecraft, which is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. NASA supplied two instruments on the probe, the descent imager/spectral radiometer and the gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. *Credit:* NASA/JPL/ESA |
| Date |
August 28, 2007 |
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Descent Through Clouds to Su
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| Description |
Here on the Gallery page you can find the very latest images, videos and products from the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn, including the spectacular launch, spacecraft assembly and the exciting trip to Saturn. |
| Full Description |
This short animation is made up from a sequence of images taken by the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer (DISR) instrument on board ESA's Huygens probe, during its successful descent to Titan on Jan. 14, 2005. It shows what a passenger riding on Huygens would have seen. The sequence starts from an altitude of 152 kilometers (about 95 miles) and initially only shows a hazy view looking into thick cloud. As the probe descends, ground features can be discerned and Huygens emerges from the clouds at around 30 kilometers (about 19 miles) altitude. The ground features seem to rotate as Huygens spins slowly under its parachute. The DISR consists of a downward-looking High Resolution Imager (HRI), a Medium Resolution Imager (MRI), which looks out at an angle, and a Side Looking Imager (SLI). For this animation, most images used were captured by the HRI and MRI. Once on the ground, the final landing scene was captured by the SLI. The Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer is one of two NASA instruments on the probe. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The Descent Imager/Spectral team is based at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz. *Credit:* ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona |
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Huygens Titan Mosaic #1
| Description |
Huygens Titan Mosaic #1 |
| Full Description |
This stereographic projection of Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer images from the European Space Agency's Huygens probe combines 60 images in 31 triplets, projected from a height of 3,000 meters (9,843 feet) above the black 'lakebed' surface. The bright area to the north (top of the image) and west is higher than the rest of the terrain, and covered in dark lines that appear to be drainage channels. The images were then stitched together using one of several projection algorithms (in this case 'stereographic') to produce a full mosaic. The images used to construct this mosaic were taken on Jan. 14, 2005. The Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer is one of two NASA-funded instruments on the probe. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The Descent Imager/Spectral team is based at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . For more information about the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer visit http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~kholso/. Credit: ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona |
| Date |
May 13, 2005 |
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Huygens Titan Mosaic #2
| Description |
Huygens Titan Mosaic #2 |
| Full Description |
This mosaic from the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer camera on the European Space Agency's Huygens probe combines 17 image triplets, projected from an altitude of 800 meters (2,625 feet). The area covered is approximately 1,300 meters (4,265 feet) across (north at the top of the image). The smallest visible objects visible are less than five meters (16 feet) across, and the dark channels are 30 to 40 meters (98 to 131 feet) wide. The images were then stitched together using one of several projection algorithms (in this case 'gnomonic') to produce a full mosaic. The images used to construct this mosaic were taken on Jan. 14, 2005. The Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer is one of two NASA-funded instruments on the probe. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The Descent Imager/Spectral team is based at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . For more information about the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer visit http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~kholso/. Credit: ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona |
| Date |
May 13, 2005 |
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Titan Descent Data Movie wit
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| Description |
Here on the Gallery page you can find the very latest images, videos and products from the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn, including the spectacular launch, spacecraft assembly and the exciting trip to Saturn. |
| Full Description |
This movie, built with data collected during the European Space Agency's Huygens probe on Jan. 14, 2005, shows the operation of the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer camera during its descent and after touchdown. The camera was funded by NASA. The almost four-hour-long operation of the camera is shown in less than five minutes. That's 40 times the actual speed up to landing and 100 times the actual speed thereafter. The first part of the movie shows how Titan looked to the camera as it acquired more and more images during the probe's descent. Each image has a small field of view, and dozens of images were made into mosaics of the whole scene. The scientists analyzed Huygens' speed, direction of motion, rotation and swinging during the descent. The movie includes sidebar graphics that show: * (Lower left corner) Huygens' trajectory views from the south, a scale bar for comparison to the height of Mount Everest, colored arrows that point to the sun and to the Cassini orbiter. * (Top left corner) A close-up view of the Huygens probe highlighting large and unexpected parachute movements, a scale bar for comparison to human height. * (Lower right corner) A compass that shows the changing direction of view as Huygens rotates, along with the relative positions of the sun and Cassini. * (Upper right corner) A clock that shows Universal Time for Jan. 14, 2005 (Universal Time is 7 hours ahead of Pacific Daylight Time). Above the clock, events are listed in mission time, which starts with the deployment of the first of the three parachutes. Sounds from a left speaker trace Huygens' motion, with tones changing with rotational speed and the tilt of the parachute. There also are clicks that clock the rotational counter, as well as sounds for the probe's heat shield hitting Titan's atmosphere, parachute deployments, heat shield release, jettison of the camera cover and touchdown. Sounds from a right speaker go with the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer activity. There's a continuous tone that represents the strength of Huygens' signal to Cassini. Then there are 13 different chimes - one for each of instrument's 13 different science parts - that keep time with flashing-white-dot exposure counters. During its descent, the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer took 3,500 exposures. The Huygens probe was delivered to Saturn's moon Titan by the Cassini spacecraft, which is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. NASA supplied two instruments on the probe, the descent imager/spectral radiometer and the gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The descent imager/spectral radiometer team is based at the University of Arizona, Tucson. For, more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . Credit: ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona |
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Titan's Varied Terrain
| Description |
Titan's Varied Terrain |
| Full Description |
This composite was produced from images returned yesterday, January 14, 2005, by the European Space Agency's Huygens probe during its successful descent to land on Titan. It shows the boundary between the lighter-colored uplifted terrain, marked with what appear to be drainage channels, and darker lower areas. These images were taken from an altitude of about 8 kilometers (about 5 miles) and a resolution of about 20 meters (about 65 feet) per pixel. The images were taken by the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer, one of two NASA instruments on the probe. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The Descent Imager/Spectral team is based at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm . Credit: ESA/NASA/Univ. of Arizona |
| Date |
January 15, 2005 |
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Huygens at Titan 3
| Description |
Huygens at Titan 3 |
| Full Description |
This is one of the first raw images returned by the European Space Agency's Huygens probe during its successful descent to Titan. It was taken at an altitude of 8 kilometers with a resolution of 20 meters per pixel. It shows what could be the landing site, with shorelines and boundaries between raised ground and flooded plains. It was taken with the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer, one of two NASA instruments on the probe. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The Descent Imager/Spectral team is based at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz. *Credit*: ESA/NASA/University of Arizona |
| Date |
January 14, 2005 |
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Pinpointing Huygens Landing
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| Description |
Pinpointing Huygens Landing Site |
| Full Description |
The Cassini spacecraft carried the European Space Agency's Huygens probe to Saturn and released it in December 2004. The probe landed on Titan Jan. 14, 2005, acquiring a set of images using the descent imager/spectral radiometer camera as it parachuted to the surface. As Cassini continued to orbit Saturn, its imaging science subsystem and visual and infrared mapping spectrometer mapped the region where the Huygens probe landed. On Friday, Oct. 28, 2005, Cassini's radar instrument provided the highest resolution orbital data yet of this area. The two images shown here tell the story. On the left, in color, is a composite of the imaging camera and infrared data (red areas are brighter and blue darker, as seen in infrared). On the right is the synthetic aperture radar image. The Huygens descent images are shown inset on the left image and outlined in yellow on the right. The magenta cross in both images shows the best estimate of the actual Huygens landing site. This is a preliminary result, based on the best information available at the present time. In the left image, the brighter areas seen by the Huygens camera correspond to the large area depicted in red and yellow. On closer inspection, bright features within the Huygens mosaic seem to correspond to smaller features in the map composed of data from the visual and infrared spectrometer and imaging camera. On the right, the correspondence is less clear. In radar images bright features are usually rougher, so one would not necessarily expect an obvious connection. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The radar instrument team is based at JPL, working with team members from the United States and several European countries. The visual and infrared mapping spectrometer team is based at the University of Arizona. The imaging operations center is based at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov. *Credit:* NASA/JPL/University of Arizona/Space Science Institute |
| Date |
November 1, 2005 |
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Titan's Surface
| Description |
Titan's Surface |
| Full Description |
Images recorded by the European Space Agency's Huygens probe descent imager/spectral radiometer between 11 and 5 miles (17 and 8 kilometers) were assembled to produce this panoramic mosaic. The probe ground track is indicated as points in white. North is up. Narrow dark linear markings, interpreted as channels, cut through the brighter terrain. The complex channel network implies precipitation (likely as methane "rain") and possibly springs. The circle indicates the outline of the low-altitude panorama shown in Titan's Surface #2. The Huygens probe was delivered to Saturn's moon Titan by the Cassini spacecraft, which is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. NASA supplied two instruments on the probe, the descent imager/spectral radiometer and the gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov. *Credit:* ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona |
| Date |
November 30, 2005 |
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Huygens Landing Site
| Description |
Huygens Landing Site |
| Full Description |
This composite image shows a mosaic of the European Space Agency's Huygens probe landing site, as seen by the descent imager/spectral radiometer on the Huygens probe. The mosaic is overlaid on a Cassini orbiter radar image. The radar image was taken on an Oct. 28, 2005, flyby. The landing site, marked by the red "X", is located at 192.3 degrees west, 10.3 degrees south (southern hemisphere of Titan). Identifying the landing site will improve the understanding of Titan to be gained by comparing localized data that the probe returned with larger-scale observations by the orbiter. The Huygens probe was delivered to Saturn's moon Titan by the Cassini spacecraft, which is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. NASA supplied two instruments on the probe, the descent imager/spectral radiometer and the gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov. *Credit:* ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona/USGS |
| Date |
November 30, 2005 |
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View from Titan's Surface
| Description |
View from Titan's Surface |
| Full Description |
Images from the European Space Agency's Huygens probe descent imager/spectral radiometer side-looking imager and from the medium resolution imager, acquired after landing, were merged to produce this image. The horizon's position implies a pitch of the imager/spectral radiometer, nose-upward, by 1 to 2 degrees with no measurable roll. "Stones" in the foreground are 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 centimeters) in size, presumably made of water ice, and these lie on a darker, finer-grained substrate. A region with a relatively low number of rocks lies between clusters of rocks in the foreground and the background and matches the general orientation of channel-like features in the panorama of Titan's Surface #2. The scene evokes the possibility of a dry lakebed. The Huygens probe was delivered to Saturn's moon Titan by the Cassini spacecraft, which is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. NASA supplied two instruments on the probe, the descent imager/spectral radiometer and the gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov. *Credit:* ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona |
| Date |
November 30, 2005 |
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Dark Plains on Titan
| Description |
Dark Plains on Titan |
| Full Description |
This perspective view shows dark plains on the surface of Saturn's moon Titan about 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the Huygens probe landing site. In this area many discrete bright feature are scattered across the dark plains. This provides stereo coverage with a resolution of about 45 feet per pixel (about 14 meters) and a convergence angle of about 6 degrees. The perspective image is color-coded in altitude with blue lowest and red highest. The ridges in the center of the view are about 150 feet-high (roughly 50 meters), the area covered is about 1.6 miles by 1.6 miles (2.5 by 2.5 kilometers). The topographic features toward the bottom right part of the view are suggestive of flow and erosion by fluids on the surface. A stereo pair of images (insert) was acquired from the Huygens descent imager/spectral radiometer. The left image was acquired from 8 miles (12.2 kilometers) above the surface with the high resolution imager, the right from 4 miles (6.9 kilometers) altitude with the medium resolution imager. The Huygens probe was delivered to Saturn's moon Titan by the Cassini spacecraft, which is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. NASA supplied two instruments on the probe, the descent imager/spectral radiometer and the gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov. Credit: ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona/USGS |
| Date |
December 1, 2005 |
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Bright Highlands and Dark Pl
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| Description |
Bright Highlands and Dark Plains |
| Full Description |
This is a perspective view of the surface of Saturn's moon Titan near the Huygens probe landing site that includes the bright-dark boundary between the bright highlands and lower dark plains. This provides stereo coverage with a resolution of about 50 feet per pixel (roughly 15 meters) and a convergence angle of approximately 15 degrees. The perspective image is color-coded in altitude with blue lowest and red highest. The total relief is approximately 500 feet (roughly 150 meters) and the area covered is about 0.6 by 2 miles (1 by 3 kilometers). The valleys exhibiting dark drainages in the brighter higher, terrains have steep sides ranging up to approximately 30 degrees. A stereo pair of images (insert) was acquired from the Huygens descent imager/spectral radiometer. The left image was acquired from 9 miles (14.8 kilometers) above the surface with the high resolution imager, the right from 4 miles (6.7 kilometers) altitude with the medium resolution imager. The Huygens probe was delivered to Saturn's moon Titan by the Cassini spacecraft, which is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. NASA supplied two instruments on the probe, the descent imager/spectral radiometer and the gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov. Credit: ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona/USGS |
| Date |
December 1, 2005 |
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Huygens Landing Site Revisit
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| Description |
Huygens Landing Site Revisited |
| Full Description |
This is an artist's interpretation of the area surrounding the Huygens landing site, based on images and data returned Jan. 14, 2005. On this day, the European Space Agency's Huygens probe reached the upper layer of Titan's atmosphere and landed on the surface after a parachute descent of 2 hours and 28 minutes. The Huygens probe was delivered to Saturn's moon Titan by the Cassini spacecraft, which is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. NASA supplied two instruments on the probe: the descent imager/spectral radiometer and the gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov. *Credit:* ESA + Read the Feature |
| Date |
January 13, 2006 |
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Titan's Surface #2
| Description |
Titan's Surface #2 |
| Full Description |
Images recorded by the European Space Agency's Huygens probe descent imager/spectral radiometer between 4 and 0.3 miles (7 and 0.5 kilometers) were assembled to produce this panoramic mosaic. The probe ground track is indicated as points in white. North is up. The ridge near the centre is cut by a dozen darker lanes or channels. The landing site is marked with an "X" near the continuation of one of the channels. The Huygens probe was delivered to Saturn's moon Titan by the Cassini spacecraft, which is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. NASA supplied two instruments on the probe, the descent imager/spectral radiometer and the gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov. *Credit:* ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona |
| Date |
November 30, 2005 |
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Complex Terrain
| Description |
This complex area of hilly terrain and erosional channels is located atop Xanadu, the continent-sized region on Saturn's moon Titan. |
| Full Description |
This complex area of hilly terrain and erosional channels is located atop Xanadu, the continent-sized region on Saturn's moon Titan. The image was captured by the Cassini Titan Radar Mapper on April 30, 2006. It shows details as small as 350 meters (1148 feet). Each side of the picture covers 200 kilometers (124 miles). Chains of hills or mountains are located near the bottom of the image, appearing bright on their north side (toward the top in this image). Extending further north is a drainage region where liquids flowed, eroding the presumably water-ice bedrock of Xanadu. Careful inspection reveals a series of faint drainage channels, some of which appear to empty into the dark region near the top of the image. Liquid methane might be fed from springs within Xanadu or by occasional rainfall suspected to occur on Titan. There is evidence for this rainfall in images taken by the Descent Imager/ Spectral Radiometer camera on the Huygens probe as it landed, well to the west of this area, on January 14, 2005 (see Water Ice and Methane Springs on Titan). The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The radar instrument was built by JPL and the Italian Space Agency, working with team members from the United States and several European countries. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm. *Image credit:* NASA/JPL |
| Date |
May 8, 2006 |
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Stereographic View of Titan'
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| Description |
Stereographic View of Titan's Surface |
| Full Description |
This poster shows a stereographic (fish-eye) view of Titan's surface from six different altitudes. The images taken by the European Space Agency's Huygens probe descent imager/spectral radiometer show the haze layer at 20 to 21 kilometers (12 to 13 miles). The images were taken on Jan. 14, 2005. The Huygens probe was delivered to Saturn's moon Titan by the Cassini spacecraft, which is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. NASA supplied two instruments on the probe, the descent imager/spectral radiometer and the gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The descent imager/spectral radiometer team is based at the University of Arizona, Tucson. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . Credit: ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona |
| Date |
May 4, 2006 |
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Titan's Surface
| Description |
Titan's Surface |
| Full Description |
This poster shows a composite view from the descent imager/spectral radiometer taken while the European Space Agency's Huygens probe was setting on Titan's surface, juxtaposed with a similarly scaled picture taken on the Moon's surface. Objects near the center of the picture are roughly the size of a man's foot. Objects at the horizon are a fraction of a man's height. The Huygens image was taken on Jan. 14, 2005. The Huygens probe was delivered to Saturn's moon Titan by the Cassini spacecraft, which is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. NASA supplied two instruments on the probe, the descent imager/spectral radiometer and the gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The descent imager/spectral radiometer team is based at the University of Arizona, Tucson. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . Credit: ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona |
| Date |
May 4, 2006 |
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Titan's Pebbles
| Description |
Titan's Pebbles |
| Full Description |
When printed on letter sized paper this poster shows the size of the 'rocks' on Titan's surface in their true size. The left image was taken with the descent imager/spectral radiometer onboard the European Space Agency's Huygens probe. The Huygens image was taken on Jan. 14, 2005. The Huygens probe was delivered to Saturn's moon Titan by the Cassini spacecraft, which is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. NASA supplied two instruments on the probe, the descent imager/spectral radiometer and the gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The descent imager/spectral radiometer team is based at the University of Arizona, Tucson. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . Credit: ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona |
| Date |
May 4, 2006 |
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Mercator Projection of Huyge
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| Description |
Mercator Projection of Huygens's View |
| Full Description |
This poster shows a flattened (Mercator) projection of the Huygens probe's view from 10 kilometers altitude (6 miles). The images that make up this view were taken on Jan. 14, 2005, with the descent imager/spectral radiometer onboard the European Agency's Huygens probe. The Huygens probe was delivered to Saturn's moon Titan by the Cassini spacecraft, which is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. NASA supplied two instruments on the probe, the descent imager/spectral radiometer and the gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The descent imager/spectral radiometer team is based at the University of Arizona, Tucson. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . Credit: ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona |
| Date |
May 4, 2006 |
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Views of Titan from Differen
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| Description |
Views of Titan from Different Altitudes |
| Full Description |
This poster shows a set of images acquired by the European Space Agency's Huygens probe descent imager/spectral radiometer, in the four cardinal directions (north, south, east, west), at five different altitudes above Titan's surface. The images were taken on Jan. 14, 2005. The Huygens probe was delivered to Saturn's moon Titan by the Cassini spacecraft, which is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. NASA supplied two instruments on the probe, the descent imager/spectral radiometer and the gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The descent imager/spectral radiometer team is based at the University of Arizona, Tucson. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . Credit: ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona |
| Date |
May 4, 2006 |
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Mercator projection of Huyge
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| Description |
Mercator projection of Huygens's view at different altitudes |
| Full Description |
This poster shows a flattened (Mercator) projection of the view from the descent imager/spectral radiometer on the European Space Agency's Huygens probe at four different altitudes. The images were taken on Jan. 14, 2005. The Huygens probe was delivered to Saturn's moon Titan by the Cassini spacecraft, which is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. NASA supplied two instruments on the probe, the descent imager/spectral radiometer and the gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The descent imager/spectral radiometer team is based at the University of Arizona, Tucson. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . Credit: ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona |
| Date |
May 4, 2006 |
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Pathfinder Panorama
| title |
Pathfinder Panorama |
| description |
This is a more recent 'geometrically improved, color enhanced' version of the 360-degree 'Gallery Pan', the first contiguous, uniform panorama taken by the Imager for Mars (IMP) over the course of Sols 8, 9, and 10. Different regions were imaged at different times over the three Martian days to acquire consistent lighting and shadow conditions for all areas of the panorama. In this version of the panorama, much of the discontinuity that was due to parallax has been corrected, particularly along thelower tiers of the mosaic containing the Lander features. Distortiondue to a 2.5 degree tilt in the IMP camera mast has been removed. The IMP is a stereo imaging system that, in its fully deployed configuration, stands 1.8 meters above the Martian surface, and has a resolution of two millimeters at a range of two meters. The IMP has color capability provided by 24 selectable filters -- twelve filters per 'eye'. Its red, green, and blue filters were used to take this panorama. The three color images were first digitally balanced according to the transmittance capabilities of a specific high-definition TV device at JPL, and then enhanced via changes to saturation and intensity while retaining the hue. A threshold was applied to avoid changes to the sky. An MTF filter was applied to sharpen feature edges. At left is a Lander petal and a metallic mast which is a portion of the low-gain antenna. On the horizon the double 'Twin Peaks' are visible, about 1-2 kilometers away. The rock 'Couch' is the dark, curved rock at right of Twin Peaks. Another Lander petal is at left-center, showing the fully deployed forward ramp at far left, and rear ramp at right, which rover Sojourner used to descend to the surface of Mars on July 5. Immediately to the left of the rear ramp is the rock 'Barnacle Bill', which scientistsfound be andesitic, possibly indicating that it is a volcanic rock (a true andesite) or a physical mixture of particles. Just beyond Barnacle Bill, rover tracks lead to Sojourner, shown using its Alpha ProtonX-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument to study the large rock 'Yogi'. Yogi, low in quartz content, appears to be more primitive than Barnacle Bill, and appears more like the common basalts found on Earth. The tracks and circular pattern in the soil leading up to Yogi werepart of Sojourner's soil mechanics experiments, in which varying amounts of pressure were applied to the wheels in order to determine physical properties of the soil. During its traverse to Yogi the roverstirred the soil and exposed material from several centimeters indepth. During one of the turns to deploy Sojourner's Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer, the wheels dug particularly deeply and exposed white material. Spectra of this white material show it is virtually identical to the rock 'Scooby Doo', and such white material may underlie much of the site. Deflated airbags are visible at the perimeter of all three Lander petals. Mars Pathfinder was the second in NASA's Discovery, program of low-costspacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet PropulsionLaboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfindermission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is anoperating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and PlanetaryLaboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator. *Image Credit*: NASA |
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Close-Up of Sol 24 Sunset
| title |
Close-Up of Sol 24 Sunset |
| description |
This is a close-up of the sunset on Sol 24 as seen by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder. The red sky in the background and the blue around the Sun are approximately as they would appear to the human eye. The color of the Sun itself is not correct -- the Sun was overexposed in each of the 3 color images that were used to make this picture. The true color of the Sun itself may be near white or slightly bluish. Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator. *Image Credit*: NASA |
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360 Degree Panorama Mars Pat
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| Title |
360 Degree Panorama Mars Pathfinder Landing Site |
| Full Description |
This is the first contiguous, uniform 360-degree color panorama taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) over the course of sols 8, 9, and 10 (Martian days). Different regions were imaged at different times over the three Martian days to acquire consistent lighting and shadow conditions for all areas of the panorama. At left is a lander petal and a metallic mast which is a portion of the low-gain antenna. On the horizon the double "Twin Peaks" are visible, about 1-2 kilometers away. The rock "Couch" is the dark, curved rock at right of Twin Peaks. Another lander petal is at left-center, showing the fully deployed forward ramp at far left, and rear ramp at right, which rover Sojourner used to descend to the surface of Mars on July 5. Immediately to the left of the rear ramp is the rock Barnacle Bill, which scientists found to be andesitic, possibly indicating that it is a volcanic rock (a true andesite) or a physical mixture of particles. Just beyond Barnacle Bill, rover tracks lead to Sojourner, shown using its Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument to study the large rock Yogi. Yogi, low in quartz content, appears to be more primitive than Barnacle Bill, and appeared more like the common basalts found on Earth. The tracks and circular pattern in the soil leading up to Yogi were part of Sojourner's soil mechanics experiments, in which varying amounts of pressure were applied to the wheels in order to determine physical properties of the soil. During its traverse to Yogi the rover stirred the soil and exposed material from several centimeters in depth. During one of the turns to deploy Sojourner's Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer, the wheels dug particularly deeply and exposed white material. Spectra of this white material show it is virtually identical to the rock Scooby Doo, and such white material may underlie much of the site. Deflated airbags are visible at the perimeter of all three lander petals. The IMP is a stereo imaging system with color capability provided by 24 selectable filters, twelve filters per "eye." Its red, green, and blue filters were used to take this image. The IMP, in its fully deployed configuration, stands 1.8 meters above the Martian surface, and has a resolution of two millimeters at a range of two meters. Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator. |
| Date |
07/18/1997 |
| NASA Center |
Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
|
RHESSI and TRACE View of Jan
…
| Title |
RHESSI and TRACE View of January 20, 2005 Solar Flare |
| Abstract |
RHESSI spacecraft images of gamma-rays (blue) and X-rays (red) thrown off by the hottest part of the flare are shown with UV images from the TRACE spacecraft. The gamma rays are made by energetic protons at the Sun. Scientists were surprised that the gamma rays matched the energy spectrum of protons at Earth: the proton storm may have come directly from the Sun and not from the CME as anticipated. |
| Completed |
2005-05-19 |
|
Hurricane Daniel
| Title |
Hurricane Daniel |
| Description |
On July 18, Daniel became the third hurricane to form in the East Pacific during 2006, setting the pace of hurricane formation at about average for the region. It was already the second major hurricane in the East Pacific, which put 2006 well ahead of the pace set in 2005, during which only two major hurricanes formed for the entire season. After intensifying from a tropical depression that was tracking westward across the eastern Pacific away from land, Daniel became a named tropical storm on July 17, 2006, about 1,400 miles south of Baja California. Daniel continued to strengthen and became a minimal hurricane on the afternoon of July 18 (local time). The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite (TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ]) captured these images of Hurricane Daniel on July 19 at 3:29 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time (10:29 UTC), just before the storm intensified from Category 1 to a Category 4 storm. The top image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity (top-down view) within the storm. Rain rates in the center of the swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar, and rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager. These rain rates are overlaid on infrared data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner. Circles of red and green trace out the tight circling bands of rain. This tight banding, along with a nearly complete inner eyewall (innermost green arc), is evidence that Daniel was very well organized with a well-developed circulation. There is also an area of intense rain (dark red) within the eyewall. At the time of this image, the National Hurricane Center [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ ], reported that Daniel was a strong Category 1 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds reported at 150 kilometers per hour (92 mph or 80 knots). The lower image is a three-dimensional depiction of the storm from the same overpass. The image was created from data taken by the TRMM Precipitation Radar, which has the ability to look at vertical precipitation structures. The radar reveals an area of deep convection, where water-laden air is rising high and fast, right near Daniel's center. This area shows up as red peaks that are about 15 kilometers high. The peaks are associated with the area of heavy rain within the eyewall in the previous image. The presence of such towers can be a precursor for intensification when they are near the storm's core. This was indeed the case with Daniel, which steadily increased in intensity after these images were taken, reaching Category 4 intensity on July 20, with maximum sustained winds of 220 km/hr (138 mph or 120 knots) as reported by the National Hurricane Center. Daniel was expected to gradually turn to the northwest and weaken over cooler waters. TRMM was placed into service in November of 1997. From its low-earth orbit, TRMM has been providing valuable images and information on tropical cyclones around the Tropics using a combination of passive microwave and active radar sensors, including the first precipitation radar in space. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency, JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
|
Hurricane Daniel
| Title |
Hurricane Daniel |
| Description |
On July 18, Daniel became the third hurricane to form in the East Pacific during 2006, setting the pace of hurricane formation at about average for the region. It was already the second major hurricane in the East Pacific, which put 2006 well ahead of the pace set in 2005, during which only two major hurricanes formed for the entire season. After intensifying from a tropical depression that was tracking westward across the eastern Pacific away from land, Daniel became a named tropical storm on July 17, 2006, about 1,400 miles south of Baja California. Daniel continued to strengthen and became a minimal hurricane on the afternoon of July 18 (local time). The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite (TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ]) captured these images of Hurricane Daniel on July 19 at 3:29 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time (10:29 UTC), just before the storm intensified from Category 1 to a Category 4 storm. The top image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity (top-down view) within the storm. Rain rates in the center of the swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar, and rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager. These rain rates are overlaid on infrared data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner. Circles of red and green trace out the tight circling bands of rain. This tight banding, along with a nearly complete inner eyewall (innermost green arc), is evidence that Daniel was very well organized with a well-developed circulation. There is also an area of intense rain (dark red) within the eyewall. At the time of this image, the National Hurricane Center [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ ], reported that Daniel was a strong Category 1 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds reported at 150 kilometers per hour (92 mph or 80 knots). The lower image is a three-dimensional depiction of the storm from the same overpass. The image was created from data taken by the TRMM Precipitation Radar, which has the ability to look at vertical precipitation structures. The radar reveals an area of deep convection, where water-laden air is rising high and fast, right near Daniel's center. This area shows up as red peaks that are about 15 kilometers high. The peaks are associated with the area of heavy rain within the eyewall in the previous image. The presence of such towers can be a precursor for intensification when they are near the storm's core. This was indeed the case with Daniel, which steadily increased in intensity after these images were taken, reaching Category 4 intensity on July 20, with maximum sustained winds of 220 km/hr (138 mph or 120 knots) as reported by the National Hurricane Center. Daniel was expected to gradually turn to the northwest and weaken over cooler waters. TRMM was placed into service in November of 1997. From its low-earth orbit, TRMM has been providing valuable images and information on tropical cyclones around the Tropics using a combination of passive microwave and active radar sensors, including the first precipitation radar in space. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency, JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
|
Hurricane Daniel
| Title |
Hurricane Daniel |
| Description |
On July 18, Daniel became the third hurricane to form in the East Pacific during 2006, setting the pace of hurricane formation at about average for the region. It was already the second major hurricane in the East Pacific, which put 2006 well ahead of the pace set in 2005, during which only two major hurricanes formed for the entire season. After intensifying from a tropical depression that was tracking westward across the eastern Pacific away from land, Daniel became a named tropical storm on July 17, 2006, about 1,400 miles south of Baja California. Daniel continued to strengthen and became a minimal hurricane on the afternoon of July 18 (local time). The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite (TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ]) captured these images of Hurricane Daniel on July 19 at 3:29 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time (10:29 UTC), just before the storm intensified from Category 1 to a Category 4 storm. The top image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity (top-down view) within the storm. Rain rates in the center of the swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar, and rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager. These rain rates are overlaid on infrared data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner. Circles of red and green trace out the tight circling bands of rain. This tight banding, along with a nearly complete inner eyewall (innermost green arc), is evidence that Daniel was very well organized with a well-developed circulation. There is also an area of intense rain (dark red) within the eyewall. At the time of this image, the National Hurricane Center [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ ], reported that Daniel was a strong Category 1 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds reported at 150 kilometers per hour (92 mph or 80 knots). The lower image is a three-dimensional depiction of the storm from the same overpass. The image was created from data taken by the TRMM Precipitation Radar, which has the ability to look at vertical precipitation structures. The radar reveals an area of deep convection, where water-laden air is rising high and fast, right near Daniel's center. This area shows up as red peaks that are about 15 kilometers high. The peaks are associated with the area of heavy rain within the eyewall in the previous image. The presence of such towers can be a precursor for intensification when they are near the storm's core. This was indeed the case with Daniel, which steadily increased in intensity after these images were taken, reaching Category 4 intensity on July 20, with maximum sustained winds of 220 km/hr (138 mph or 120 knots) as reported by the National Hurricane Center. Daniel was expected to gradually turn to the northwest and weaken over cooler waters. TRMM was placed into service in November of 1997. From its low-earth orbit, TRMM has been providing valuable images and information on tropical cyclones around the Tropics using a combination of passive microwave and active radar sensors, including the first precipitation radar in space. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency, JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
|
Hurricane Henriette
| Title |
Hurricane Henriette |
| Description |
Although not a very powerful storm, Hurricane Henriette was responsible for seven fatalities along Mexico's Pacific coast as of September 6, 2007, said news reports. Henriette struck hardest in the resort town of Acapulco. Though the storm never passed closer than 70 miles to the town, heavy rains along the coast saturated the ground, leading to mudslides. These slides were the leading cause of fatalities. This image shows Hurricane Henriette as a Category 1 [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshs.shtml ] hurricane, as seen by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] satellite at 8:50 a.m. local time (14:50 UTC) on September 5. At that time, the storm was moving north-northwest over the Gulf of California after it had made its initial landfall on the Baja Peninsula. The image shows the horizontal pattern of rain intensity within the storm, with the heaviest rain in red and the lightest rain in blue. A break in the circular rainfall field in the southwest corner of the storm reveals a large, ragged eye. A large eye only partially surrounded by rain is a hallmark of a system that is decaying or has been weakened. In this case, Henriette was likely breaking up after its interaction with land. Most of the rain is north and east of the center, with bands of heavy rain located just offshore of mainland Mexico (dark red areas). Henriette was expected to dump several inches of rain over mainland Mexico, and possibly bring some rain to the southwestern regions of the United States. The TRMM satellite was placed into service in November 1997. From its low-earth orbit, TRMM provides valuable images and information on storm systems around the tropics using a combination of passive microwave and active radar sensors, including the first precipitation radar in space. In this image, the rain rates in the center of the swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar, and those in the outer swath come from the TRMM Microwave Imager. The rain rates are overlaid on infrared data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency, JAXA. Image produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
|
Hurricane Ignacio
| Title |
Hurricane Ignacio |
| Description |
Hurricane Ignacio has continued to threaten the Baja California peninsula with high winds, heavy surf and the potential for flood-producing rainfall. Ignacio was declared a tropical depression at 5 am PDT (1200 UTC) on Friday, the 22nd of August, 2003 by the National Hurricane Center while it was 125 miles west of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It was upgraded to a tropical storm on the 23rd of August and became a hurricane at 2 am PDT, August 24th as it continued to move slowly northwest towards the southern tip of Baja California. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite captured these images of Hurricane Ignacio when it was just 50 miles off of the southeastern coast of Baja California near the southern tip of the peninsula. The images were taken at 10:25 am PDT (17:25 UTC) on the 24th of August. At the time Ignacio was classified as a category 2 hurricane by the National Hurricane Center with sustained winds of 105 mph. The image on the left shows a plan or top down view of the storm in terms of rainfall rates from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR) in the inner swath and the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) in the outter swath overlayed on TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS) data (white areas). It shows that Ignacio has a closed eye but that the storm is still very assymmetrical with all of the intense rainfall (darker reds) on the north and east side of the storm, indicative of a storm that is not yet completely organized. The image on the right shows an east-west vertical slice taken by the PR through the center of Ignacio that again shows the heaviest rainfall on the right or eastside of the storm (darker reds) as well as a tall tower known as a chimney cloud on the eastern eye wall that indicates the release of a lot of heat energy which powers the storm. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
|
Fires in Southern California
| Title |
Fires in Southern California |
| Description |
From the mountains of the Cleveland National Forest east of San Diego, the Harris Fire came racing down toward the San Diego suburbs on October 23, 2007. This infrared-enhanced satellite image from NASA's Advanced Land Imager sensor on the EO-1 satellite shows the flames reaching the Sweetwater Reservoir. Burning areas appear bright pink, smoke is transparent blue, vegetation is bright green, and paved or bare surfaces are purplish-gray. The large burned area (only part of which is visible in this scene) appears as a reddish-brown area in the lower-right corner of the image. Bright pink spots within the burned area indicate fire is still active in the interior of the blaze as well as around the perimeter. According to the October 24 morning report from the National Interagency Fire Center, the Harris Fire had burned about 72,000 acres and was only 10 percent contained. NASA image courtesy of Lawrence Ong. |
|
Fires in Southern California
| Title |
Fires in Southern California |
| Description |
By October 25, the Witch Fire burning in San Diego County, California, had started to subside. Fierce winds that propelled the flames across 197,990 acres quieted, giving fire fighters a chance to battle the flames. However, the massive fire was still just 30 percent contained when NASA's Advanced Land Imager sensor on the EO-1 satellite captured this image on October 25, 2007. The image shows the fire burning around Ramona, California, north of downtown San Diego. Flames glow red, yellow, and orange in the infrared-enhanced image, and plumes of smoke are faintly visible traces of blue. The drought-dry vegetation is deceptively green, though irrigated lawns are brighter in tone than natural vegetation. Dark brown-red covers land charred in the wake of the flames. The top image shows one front of the fire in the mountains immediately east of Ramona. The flames follow the jagged line of the ridge. The west side of the mountain is burned, providing a clearer view of the rough terrain that made fighting the fire so difficult. The burn scar also makes it easier to see the canyons that channeled the strong Santa Ana winds from inland high-altitude deserts in the east toward the Pacific Ocean in the west. The image only shows part of the burned area. The fire extended much farther to the west. The lower image shows sections of the fire near the western edge of Ramona. Neatly shaped lawns and silver-blue roof-tops reveal that this is a residential area. Interstate 15, which runs vertically through the image, was flanked by two actively burning segments of the Witch Fire. Spots of red within the burned landscape point to hotspots where the fire still smolders. The San Diego Tribune reported that firefighters expected to contain the fire by October 28. As of October 26, the Witch Fire had killed two people, injured an additional 14, and destroyed 1,061 homes and 30 commercial properties, said the Tribune. NASA image courtesy of Lawrence Ong. |
|
Martian terrain & airbags -
…
| Title |
Martian terrain & airbags - 3D |
| Description |
Portions of the lander's deflated airbags and a petal are at the lower area of this image, taken in stereo by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 3. 3D glasses are necessary to identify surface detail. This image is part of a 3D "monster" panorama of the area surrounding the landing site. Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator. *Click below to see the left and right views individually.*[figure removed for brevity, see original site] Left [figure removed for brevity, see original site] Right |
| Date |
07.11.1997 |
|
Martian terrain - 3D
| Title |
Martian terrain - 3D |
| Description |
An area of rocky terrain near the landing site of the Sagan Memorial Station can be seen in this image, taken in stereo by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 3. 3D glasses are necessary to identify surface detail. This image is part of a 3D "monster" panorama of the area surrounding the landing site. Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator. *Click below to see the left and right views individually.*[figure removed for brevity, see original site] Left [figure removed for brevity, see original site] Right |
| Date |
07.11.1997 |
|
|
