Titanic

This seems like a nice round-up of the data coming out of the Cassini's mission to Titan.

The take-home message from the initial RADAR results is what has become a mantra of sorts for the Cassini science team: "We don't have answers yet. It's going to take a while." For one thing, the area imaged by Cassini's RADAR during its first close flyby of Titan is only about 1 percent of the moon's surface. Fox News might be willing to call an election with only 1 percent of the vote counted, but planetary scientists tend to proceed with a bit more caution. In addition, Cassini can't do RADAR imaging and take ISS visible and infrared images of the same region of the moon's surface during the same flyby. The instruments are on different sides of the spacecraft; they can't be operated simultaneously. So there is no overlap between the ISS and RADAR data acquired to date. When scientists have both types of data for the same area (along with other types of data that Cassini can acquire), they'll be in a much stronger position to pull together a comprehensive interpretation.

In an unrelated note, to follow up on this jab at Fox, I actually think Kerry's going to win. They've started drinking already over in the Corner, and that just warms the cockles of my heart. I'll also go on the record and say that there are liquid hydrocarbons on the surface of Titan. My evidence for this claim is a bit weaker; it's more of a gut-instinct about the nature of the solar system kind of thing, Faith-based, even. Basically, it would be cooler that way.

Comments

[PZ Myers]

The Corner, and the right-wing in general, are going to be even more interesting sources of amusement when Kerry wins.

Of course, if by some miracle or poke in the eye by the Supreme Court, Kerry loses...we're all going to be suffering.

[Doug M]

Yes, the risk of more suffering is real. I'd advise some emotional hedging -- buy some Halliburton or missile-defense-developer stock. If Bush wins, we keep sliding toward militarism and plutocracy, but at least you get a couple thousand bucks out of the deal.

[PZ Myers]

Yeah, if we're going to be living in a plutocracy, it's better to be one of the plutocrats.

[spacetoast]

Titan is covered in Titanic peat, which is ideal for making a bong out of.

[woof]

I'm glad you think so. I have no idea but the NYT is looking glum today. I take encouragement from you. In any case we both live far from potential anti-Bush bombs. Oops, shouldn't even say that, got the Pope a couple miles away.

[Carlos]

Started drinking?

[ash]

>Started drinking?

Yeah. When did they put down the crack pipes?

ash
['You will never ever hear them say the better man won.']