The colours red, green and blue represent near-infrared images obtained at 2.01 micron, 2.83 micron and 2.13 micron, respectively. These colours explore the surface and atmosphere of Titan with varying effectiveness. The red images the surface at a wavelength (2.01 micron) where the surface is relatively bright, making the surface appear reddish in these colour images. The green colour (2.83 micron) images the surface as well, but due to enhanced absorption of sunlight by the surface and lower atmosphere, the surface is relatively dark here compared to the red. The blue colour (2.13 micron) is at a wavelength where sunlight cannot reach the surface at all due to strong absorption by the atmospheric gas methane.

In contrast to the reddish surface, bright clouds at a relatively high altitude (here, about 30 kilometres above the ground) residing above most of the atmospheric absorption appear whitish in these representations, as they reflect sunlight effectively in all three near-infrared colours.

Credits: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

This view is a composite of three NASA/ESA/ASI Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera images, taken over several minutes during Cassini's distant fly-by on 6 June 2005. The images were combined to produce a sharper view of Titan's surface. The images were taken using a combination of spectral filters sensitive to wavelengths of polarised infrared light.

The images were acquired from approximately 450 000 kilometres from Titan. Resolution in the scene is approximately 3 kilometres per pixel. The view has been contrast-enhanced to improve the overall visibility of surface features.

Credits: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute