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.

                                2022 March 27
    [2]The featured image depicts Saturn's moon Titan as captured by the
      Cassini mission in 2014. The infrared image is colored green and
   includes bright sunglint from surface seas. Please see the explanation
                       for more detailed information.

                         Titan Seas Reflect Sunlight
      Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]JPL-Caltech, [5]U. Arizona, [6]U. Idaho

   Explanation: Why would the surface of Titan light up with a blinding
   flash? The reason: a [7]sunglint from liquid seas. Saturn's moon
   [8]Titan has numerous smooth [9]lakes of methane that, when the angle
   is right, reflect sunlight as if they were mirrors. [10]Pictured here
   in false-color, the [11]robotic Cassini spacecraft that orbited Saturn
   from 2004 to 2017 imaged the [12]cloud-covered Titan in 2014 in
   different bands of cloud-piercing [13]infrared light. This [14]specular
   reflection was so bright it saturated one of Cassini's infrared
   cameras. Although the [15]sunglint was [16]annoying -- it was also
   [17]useful. The reflecting regions confirm that northern [18]Titan
   houses a wide and complex array of seas with a geometry that
   [19]indicates periods of significant evaporation. During its numerous
   passes of [20]our Solar System's most mysterious moon, Cassini has
   revealed [21]Titan to be a world with [22]active weather -- including
   times when it rains a liquefied version of [23]natural gas.

                   Tomorrow's picture: stars of the south
     __________________________________________________________________

      [24]< | [25]Archive | [26]Submissions | [27]Index | [28]Search |
   [29]Calendar | [30]RSS | [31]Education | [32]About APOD | [33]Discuss |
                                    [34]>
     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [35]Robert Nemiroff ([36]MTU) & [37]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([38]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [39]Specific rights apply.
              [40]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [41]ASD at [42]NASA / [43]GSFC
                           & [44]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2203/TitanGlint_cassini_2002.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/
   5. https://pirlwww.lpl.arizona.edu/
   6. https://www.uidaho.edu/sci/physics
   7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunglint
   8. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/saturn-moons/titan/in-depth/
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap131220.html
  10. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA18432
  11. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/cassini/mission/spacecraft/cassini-orbiter/
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap040810.html
  13. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/07_infraredwaves
  14. https://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java/scienceopticsu/reflection/specular/
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap980608.html
  16. https://www.sheknows.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/jornsvt4ojwh8kcnekqh.jpeg
  17. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/bf/f5/d0/bff5d074d399bdfec6071e9168398406.jpg
  18. https://youtu.be/lr4r70DWShk
  19. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2014Icar..243..158H/abstract
  20. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/our-solar-system/in-depth/
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190703.html
  22. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/whycassini/cassini20130522.html
  23. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gas
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220326.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  28. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  33. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=220327
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220328.html
  35. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  36. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  37. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  38. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  39. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  41. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  44. http://www.mtu.edu/