Imagery gathered by Cassini reveals mysterious bright spots on Titan, thought to be dust storms.
This animation, released by NASA, is based on images captured by the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer on the Cassini mission during several flybys of Saturn’s moon Titan in 2009 and 2010.
The results show clear bright spots appearing close to the equator around the equinox that have been interpreted as evidence of dust storms. The brightenings were visible only for a short period of time – between 11 hours and five Earth weeks. They have not been seen in previous or subsequent images.
Originally published by Cosmos as Dust storms on Titan
Kelly Wong
Kelly Wong is the social media manager at The Royal Institution of Australia. She has a Bachelor of Biomedical Science, Allergy and Immunology, Hons Class I.
Read science facts, not fiction...
There’s never been a more important time to explain the facts, cherish evidence-based knowledge and to showcase the latest scientific, technological and engineering breakthroughs. Cosmos is published by The Royal Institution of Australia, a charity dedicated to connecting people with the world of science. Financial contributions, however big or small, help us provide access to trusted science information at a time when the world needs it most. Please support us by making a donation or purchasing a subscription today.