Seasonal evolution of Titan's dark polar hood: Midsummer disappearance observed by the Hubble Space Telescope

Ralph D. Lorenz, Mark T. Lemmon, Peter H. Smith

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

Titan, Saturn's largest moon, has a dense organic-laden atmosphere that displays dramatic seasonal variations in composition and appearance. Here we document the evolution of the dark polar hood, first seen in 1980 by Voyager 1 around the north pole, and report quantitative measurements of the hood's disappearance from the south pole in 2002-2003 using previously unpublished observations with the Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys (HST/ACS). These data support a model of the hood as a transient structure associated with downwelling during polar winter.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1683-1687
Number of pages5
JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume369
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2006

Keywords

  • Planets and satellites: individual: Titan
  • Ultraviolet: Solar system

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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