Images of Titan on November 20, 25 and 26, 2002 Through Five Filters (VLT YEPUN + NACO)

Titan (apparent visual magnitude 8.05, apparent diameter 0.87 arcsec) as observed with the NAOS/CONICA instrument at VLT Yepun (Paranal Observatory, Chile) on November 20, 25 and 26, 2003, between 6.00 UT and 9.00 UT. The median seeing values were 1.1 arcsec and 1.5 arcsec respectively for the 20th and 25th. Deconvoluted ("sharpened") images of Titan are shown through 5 different narrow-band filters - they allow to probe in some detail structures at different altitudes and on the surface. Depending on the filter, the integration time varies from 10 to 100 seconds. While Titan shows its leading hemisphere (i.e. the one observed when Titan moves towards us) on Nov. 20, the trailing side (i.e the one we see when Titan moves away from us in its course around Saturn) - which displays less bright surface features - is observed on the last two dates.

Credit:

ESO

About the Image

Id:eso0408a
Type:Observation
Release date:1 April 2004
Related releases:eso0408
Size:2875 x 1676 px

About the Object

Name:Titan
Type:Solar System : Planet : Satellite
Category:Solar System

Image Formats

Large JPEG
433.3 KB
Screensize JPEG
91.0 KB

Wallpapers

1024x768
111.2 KB
1280x1024
150.1 KB
1600x1200
204.4 KB
1920x1200
241.0 KB
2048x1536
291.1 KB

Colours & filters

BandWavelengthTelescope
Infrared
2170
Very Large Telescope
NACO
Infrared
Near-IR
2.12 μmVery Large Telescope
NACO
Infrared
Near-IR
1.28 μmVery Large Telescope
NACO
Infrared
Near-IR
1.24 μmVery Large Telescope
NACO
Infrared
Near-IR
1.08 μmVery Large Telescope
NACO