1 min read

Titan Flyby (T-51) – March 27, 2009

This view of Titan's south pole reveals the intriguing dark feature named Ontario Lacus and a host of smaller features dotting the south polar region. A red cross below the center in the scene marks the pole.
This view of Titan's south pole reveals the intriguing dark feature named Ontario Lacus and a host of smaller features dotting the south polar region. A red cross below the center in the scene marks the pole.

Last Good Look at Ontario Lacus in the Equinox Mission

Cassini successfully flew by Titan's southern polar region at a altitude of 960 kilometers (597 miles). The Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) observed Ontario Lacus, while the Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS), captured high-resolution imaging of the region. Following closest approach, the Radio Science Subsystem (RSS) probed surface conditions near Titan’s mid-northern latitudes.

Titan Flyby at a Glance

Date
Mar. 27, 2009

Altitude
597 miles (960 km)

Speed
14,000 mph (6.3 km/sec)

Share

Details

Last Updated
Jan 24, 2024
Editor
NASA Science Editorial Team

Related Terms

Explore More

Artist’s concept of Dragonfly soaring over the dunes of Saturn’s moon Titan.
3 min read

NASA’s Dragonfly Rotorcraft Mission to Saturn’s Moon Titan Confirmed

Article1 week ago
Colorful stripes in yellow, white, reddish-orange, pink, and green cover the planet. Saturn is tilted slightly toward us allowing the Sun to illuminate the top of its rings. The planet's shadow is cast toward the back and left of the planet. Saturn's moons Dione, and Enceladus are visible to its upper right, while its moon Mimas is just below and to the left of the planet's rings.
3 min read

NASA’s Hubble Watches ‘Spoke Season’ on Saturn

Article4 months ago
6 min read

NASA Study Finds Life-Sparking Energy Source and Molecule at Enceladus

A study zooms in on data that NASA’s Cassini gathered at Saturn’s icy moon and finds evidence of a key ingredient for life and a supercharged source of energy to fuel it. Scientists have known that the giant plume of ice grains and water vapor spewing from Saturn’s moon Enceladus is rich with organic compounds, […]

Article4 months ago
Keep Exploring

Discover More Topics From NASA

Sun

Tendrils of hot plasma stream from the Sun.

Facts About Earth

Asteroids, Comets & Meteors

Two Very Different Asteroids

Kuiper Belt

Illustration of spacecraft near a giant space rock far from the Sun.