# Cassini lands on Titan Friday **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 11, 2005, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-lands-on-titan-friday/284253 "2005-01-11T19:05:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-lands-on-titan-friday/284253/1 "2005-01-11T19:05:56Z")
Full coverage on the Science Channel. Here’s some info. [http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm](http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm) And here’s a timeline. > **[Huygens descent timeline](https://www.esa.int/About_Us/ESOC/Huygens_descent_timeline)** > > Timeline of expected events during the Huygens descent to the surface of Titan today, 14 January 2005. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-lands-on-titan-friday/284253/2 "2005-01-11T19:14:27Z")
Not to be nitpicky, but it’s Huygens, not Cassini, that will be landing (or splashing, or splutting…) Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-lands-on-titan-friday/284253/3 "2005-01-11T19:28:16Z")
Quite right, Zev! I just hope there are some surprises. There almost always are. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-lands-on-titan-friday/284253/4 "2005-01-11T20:07:18Z")
Doggonnit, I was gonna start a “countdown to Huygens” thread yesterday but it slipped my mind. Still excited. Very, very excited. I’ll have to check the listings to see where Comcast is broadcasting NASA-TV this week, and set the TiVo. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-lands-on-titan-friday/284253/5 "2005-01-11T20:22:38Z")
If a mod wanders in, could you change the title to correct my error? Thanks. I don’t want to trivialize Cassini, though. It’s done a lion’s share of work. Maybe something like, “Cassini probe Huygens lands on Titan Friday”. ---
**Author:** ![rorty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@rorty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rorty)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-lands-on-titan-friday/284253/6 "2005-01-11T20:22:49Z")
Cool. I hope it lands in an alien city. ---
**Author:** ![Dijon\_Warlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-lands-on-titan-friday/284253/7 "2005-01-12T02:15:26Z")
Just a pile of rocks. Trick of light and shadow. Nothing to see here. Move along. [/NASA Conspiracy Spokesperson] ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-lands-on-titan-friday/284253/8 "2005-01-12T13:04:46Z")
> [@rorty](#): > > Cool. I hope it lands in an alien city. I hope it does **not**. It could do damage. I hope it lands _next to_ an alien city, assuming that aliens _have_ cities, & that we would be able to recognize them as cities if they did. I won’t even get into the question of being able to recognize aliens as being alive… ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-lands-on-titan-friday/284253/9 "2005-01-12T13:17:01Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Quite right, Zev! I just hope there are some surprises. There almost always are. I’m not worried about there being surprises. I’m fascinated to guess what the surprises might be. 😃 (Anyone else remember the F-ring?) ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-lands-on-titan-friday/284253/10 "2005-01-12T17:32:53Z")
Given the way the last few missions have gone, I’m guessing that the surprise will be the parachute falling off while the probe is still 30,000 feet above the surface. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-lands-on-titan-friday/284253/11 "2005-01-12T18:40:35Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > Given the way the last few missions have gone, I’m guessing that the surprise will be the parachute falling off while the probe is still 30,000 feet above the surface. Noooo! All will go well, and we will see an ice critter (or a nice critter) peering into the lens. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-lands-on-titan-friday/284253/12 "2005-01-12T19:00:53Z")
I am indeed excited about the Huygens probe. I’ve been visiting the JPL Cassini site **Lib** posted in the OP almost every day since they released that first tiny picture of Saturn it took when it was still a gazillion miles away. In fact, I have what I think is the most [kick-ass picture of Saturn ever taken](http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/?IDNumber=PIA06142) as my desktop background. I can hardly wait for Friday! ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-lands-on-titan-friday/284253/13 "2005-01-12T19:34:56Z")
Yay! Been waiting half a year for this. It’ll be nice to see what it sends back for pictures; there’s a pretty sophisticated [imager](http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=31193&fbodylongid=734) on board. I don’t suppose we’ll be able to get an IR shot of Saturn through the clouds - will the probe be landing in the right hemisphere for that? ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-lands-on-titan-friday/284253/14 "2005-01-14T11:44:02Z")
Just a bump in preparation… I haven’t heard any more about this so I assume it’s still on schedule. First data due back on Earth at about quarter past three this afternoon GMT. According to that timeline, and adjusting for the time zone and 67-minute communications delay, Huygens should actually have touced down about 20 minutes ago, in real time 🆒 By the way, weren’t the pics of [Iapetus](http://www.solarviews.com/cap/pia/PIA06166.htm) cool? That ridge round the equator is kind of odd. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-lands-on-titan-friday/284253/15 "2005-01-14T12:11:44Z")
I feel like a little kid … Is it there yet? Is it there yet? Is it there yet? Is it there yet? (Repeat) ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-lands-on-titan-friday/284253/16 "2005-01-14T12:12:47Z")
I guess a more accurate whine would be … Have the pictures gotten back yet? Have the pictures gotten back yet? (Etc) ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-lands-on-titan-friday/284253/17 "2005-01-14T12:27:38Z")
[It has entered the clouds](http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMIEPQ3K3E_index_0.html). Carrier tone signal detected. ---
**Author:** ![malden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@malden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malden)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-lands-on-titan-friday/284253/18 "2005-01-14T15:39:31Z")
> [@](#): > > Radio telescopes on Earth confirm that the European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) Huygens probe has landed on the surface of Titan. [source](http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm) However, the “full story” link on that page still goes to the “carrier signal detected” story. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-lands-on-titan-friday/284253/19 "2005-01-14T15:43:55Z")
It’s downand transmitting! [http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/science/AP-Europe-Space-Probe.html](http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/science/AP-Europe-Space-Probe.html) ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-lands-on-titan-friday/284253/20 "2005-01-14T15:51:02Z")
From Knorf’s link, it transmitted for FIVE hours! Wheresapictures? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-lands-on-titan-friday/284253.md?page=2)