Skip Navigation
menu close modal

Resources

Tholin Formation in Titan's Upper Atmosphere

Graphic showing formation of tholin in Titan's upper atmosphere
Published: May 10, 2007

Tholin formation in Titan's upper atmosphere

Credit: Southwest Research Institute

Related

One of Saturn's strange co-orbital moons, Epimetheus, was captured by Cassini in this view. Irregularly shaped Epimetheus occasionally swaps orbits with nearby Janus (see Little Moons), and both mo...
More
Saturn's moon Epimetheus near a portion of the rings
Epimetheus Alone
Bright clouds circumscribe Titan's north polar region -- a frigid land of methane seas. The clouds seen in this image and other recent Cassini spacecraft views are at higher latitudes than similar...
More
Titan
Titan's Northern Streaks
The Cassini spacecraft spies a ''fan'' in Saturn's tenuous F ring. This fan-like structure appears as dark lines spreading outward from the left of the bright clump of ring material near the cente...
More
The Cassini spacecraft spies a "fan" in Saturn's tenuous F ring.
'Fan' Spread
A cluster of bright areas in Ceres' Occator Crater are seen in this image from NASA's Dawn spacecraft. These areas are not as bright as the material at the center of the crater.
More
Dawn LAMO Image 131
Dawn LAMO Image 131
This view from NASA's Dawn spacecraft shows cratered terrain on Ceres, centered at 10 degrees south latitude, 197 degrees east longitude.
More
Dawn LAMO Image 169
Dawn LAMO Image 169
During its flight, the Galileo spacecraft returned images of the Moon. The Galileo spacecraft took these images on December 7, 1992 on its way to explore the Jupiter system in 1995-97. 
More
The Earth's Moon
Earth's Moon
Undulations mark both sides of the path of Saturn's moon Daphnis through the A ring. Daphnis may be small at only 8 kilometers (5 miles) across, but the moon's gravity is great enough, and the Kee...
More
Saturn's moon Daphnis and the A ring
Waves from Daphnis
This false-color image of Saturn's main rings was made by combining data from multiple star occultations using the Cassini ultraviolet imaging spectrograph.
More
A false-color image of Saturn's main rings
Mapping Clumps in Saturn's Rings
Geologic faults among craters on Saturn's moon Tethys are depicted in this image captured during a flyby of the moon by NASA's Cassini spacecraft on Aug. 14, 2010. The brightly illuminated, promin...
More
Geologic faults among craters on Saturn's moon Tethys
Geology on Tethys
At 1,528 kilometers (950 miles) in diameter, Rhea is the second largest satellite of Saturn. Only Titan is larger. Bright wispy streaks cover one hemisphere of Rhea.
More
Rhea
Rhea
Our robotic emissary, flying high above Saturn, captured this view of an alien copper-colored ring world. The overexposed planet has deliberately been removed to show the unlit rings alone, seen fr...
More
Saturn's rings
Ring World
This remarkably detailed view of Saturn's clouds reveals waves at the northern boundary of the bright equatorial zone, presumably associated both with the strong wind shear there and also the diffe...
More
A detailed view of Saturn's clouds
Waves and Shear
Faint ringlets abound in this view of Saturn's F and outer A rings. The F ring presents its familiar irregularities near the ring's ansa, or ourtermost edge. At lower right can be seen faint ringle...
More
Saturn's rings and the moon Pandora
Narrow Ice Lanes
Comet ISON appeared in the higher-resolution HI-1 camera on NASA's STEREO-A spacecraft.
More
Comet ISON appeared in the higher-resolution HI-1 camera on NASA's STEREO-A spacecraft.
Comet ISON From STEREO
This image using color data obtained by the framing camera aboard NASA's Dawn spacecraft shows asteroid Vesta's southern hemisphere in color, centered on the Rheasilvia formation.
More
Asteroid Vesta in a 'Rainbow-Colored Palette'
Asteroid Vesta in a 'Rainbow-Colored Palette'
Mosaic of Triton constructed from 16 individual images. 
More
Mosaic of Triton constructed from 16 individual images.
Triton Mosaic
This animation, from Cassini's navigation team, shows the spacecraft's final orbits in 2016 and 2017. 
More
Visualization of Cassini's final dives between the planet and rings.
Final Orbits: Cassini Grand Finale (Animation)
The bright arc within Saturn's G ring is shown truncated by the shadow of the planet at the bottom of this image. Although it can't be seen here, the tiny moonlet Aegaeon (formerly known as S/2008...
More
The bright arc within Saturn's G ring is shown truncated by the shadow of the planet
Slicing the Arc
NASA's Dawn spacecraft took this image on June 6, 2015, which includes an intriguing pyramid-shaped mountain protruding from a relatively smooth area in the upper right.
More
Dawn Survey Orbit Image 6
Dawn Survey Orbit Image 6
This image from NASA's Dawn spacecraft shows some of the undulating terrain in asteroid Vesta's southern hemisphere.
More
Undulating Terrain in Vesta's Southern Hemisphere
Undulating Terrain in Vesta's Southern Hemisphere
A sliver of "ringshine" pierces the darkness of Saturn's night side. This view looks toward the unilluminated side of the rings from about 58 degrees above the ringplane. The ring shadows fall in...
More
Saturn's rings
Splinter of Light
Cassini mission planners created this animation to showcase Cassini's final 22 orbits - the mission's Grand Finale.
More
Animation showing Cassini Grand Finale orbits from a side view.
Grand Finale Orbits - Side View
This image, taken by NASA's Dawn spacecraft, shows the surface of dwarf planet Ceres from an altitude of 915 miles (1,470 kilometers). The image, with a resolution of 450 feet (140 meters) per pixe...
More
Dawn HAMO Image 15
Dawn HAMO Image 15
Part of the southern hemisphere on dwarf planet Ceres is seen in this image taken by NASA's Dawn spacecraft. Two prominent, similarly sized craters (at left) demonstrate how impact features become ...
More
Dawn HAMO Image 72
Dawn HAMO Image 72
NASA is exploring our solar system and beyond to understand the workings of the universe, searching for water and life among the stars.
More
The Solar System and Beyond is Awash in Water
The Solar System and Beyond is Awash in Water

You Might Also Like