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Article Images
ESA’s ‘shipping forecast’ - from Titan!
 
Will Huygens land or splashdown?
This narrow angle field-of-view artist's rendering shows Titan's surface with Saturn dimly in the background through Titan's thick atmosphere of methane, ethane and (mostly) nitrogen. The Cassini spacecraft flys over the surface with its high-gain antenna pointed at the Huygens probe as it reaches the surface. Thin methane clouds dot the horizon, and a narrow methane spring or 'methanefall' flows from the cliff at left and drifts mostly into vapour. Smooth ice features rise out of the methane/ethane lake, and crater walls can be seen far in the distance.

Credits: David Seal
 
 
Cassini /Huygens
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Cassini/Huygens is an ESA/NASA mission to the Saturnian system. Carried on NASA's Cassini Saturn orbiter, ESA's Huygens probe will explore the atmosphere of Titan, Saturn's largest moon. A few months after going into orbit around Saturn, Cassini will release Huygens for its entry and descent through Titan's atmosphere to the surface. Cassini will go on to make many close fly-bys to continue the global exploration of Titan during its nominal four-year mission.

Credits: ESA / D. Ducros
 
 
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Cassini-Huygens overview
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