Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2023 March 31
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                                Seeing Titan
      Image Credit: [3]VIMS Team, [4]U. Arizona, [5]U. Nantes, [6]ESA,
                                   [7]NASA

   Explanation: Shrouded in a thick atmosphere, [8]Saturn's largest moon
   Titan really is hard to see. Small particles suspended in the upper
   atmosphere cause an almost impenetrable haze, strongly scattering light
   at visible wavelengths and hiding Titan's surface features from prying
   eyes. But Titan's [9]surface is better imaged at infrared wavelengths
   where scattering is weaker and atmospheric absorption is reduced.
   Arrayed around this visible light image (center) of Titan are some of
   the clearest global infrared views of the [10]tantalizing moon so far.
   In false color, [11]the six panels present a consistent processing of
   13 years of infrared image data from the Visual and Infrared Mapping
   Spectrometer (VIMS) on board [12]the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn
   from 2004 to 2017. They offer a stunning comparison with Cassini's
   visible light view. [13]NASA's revolutionary rotorcraft mission to
   Titan is due to launch in 2027.

                        Tomorrow's picture: seriously
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    Authors & editors: [24]Robert Nemiroff ([25]MTU) & [26]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([27]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [28]Specific rights apply.
              [29]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [30]ASD at [31]NASA / [32]GSFC,
                         [33]NASA Science Activation
                           & [34]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2303/PIA21923_fig1SeeingTitan2400.jpg
   3. http://wwwvims.lpl.arizona.edu/
   4. http://pirlwww.lpl.arizona.edu/
   5. http://www.univ-nantes.fr/
   6. http://www.esa.int/
   7. http://www.nasa.gov/
   8. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/saturn-moons/titan/in-depth/
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150116.html
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140919.html
  11. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21923
  12. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/cassini/overview/
  13. https://www.nasa.gov/dragonfly
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230330.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  18. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  23. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230331>Discuss</a>|<ahref=
  24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  27. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  30. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  33. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  34. http://www.mtu.edu/