April 07, 2004

» Astronomers take best pics so far of Titan, as well its X-ray shadow

Astronomers at the Paranal Observatory in Chile have obtained the best images yet of Titan - Saturn's major moon.

They show what may be clouds in its thick and hazy atmosphere of nitrogen, methane and oily hydrocarbons.

The Chandra X-ray telescope in orbit also studied Titan's atmosphere as the moon passed in front of the glowing wreckage of an exploded star.