| Abstract: | Cassini observations show that Saturn‘s moon Titan is slightly oblate. A fourth-order spherical harmonic expansion yields north polar, south polar, and mean equatorial radii of 2574.32 ± 0.05 kilometers (km), 2574.36 ± 0.03 km, and 2574.91 ± 0.11 km, respectively; its mean radius is 2574.73 ± 0.09 km. Titan‘s shape approximates a hydrostatic, synchronously rotating triaxial ellipsoid but is best fit by such a body orbiting closer to Saturn than Titan presently does. Titan‘s lack of high relief implies that most—but not all—of the surface features observed with the Cassini imaging subsystem and synthetic aperture radar are uncorrelated with topography and elevation. Titan‘s depressed polar radii suggest that a constant geopotential hydrocarbon table could explain the confinement of the hydrocarbon lakes to high latitudes. |
| Genre: | Article |
| ProdID: | 70003641 |
| Citation Author: | Zebker, Howard A.; Stiles, Bryan ; Hensley, Scott ; Lorenz, Ralph ; Kirk, Randolph L.; Lunine, Jonathan |
| Citation Contributing Office: | Astrogeology Science Center |
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| Citation End Page: | 923 |
| Citation Issue: | 5929 |
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| Citation Language: | English |
| Citation Larger Work Title: | Science |
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| Citation Phsyical Description: | 3 p. |
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| Citation Publisher: | American Association for the Advancement of Science |
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| Citation Search Results Text: | Size and shape of Saturn‘s moon Titan; 2009; Article; Journal; Science; Zebker, Howard A.; Stiles, Bryan ; Hensley, Scott ; Lorenz, Ralph ; Kirk, Randolph L.; Lunine, Jonathan |
| Citation Start Page: | 921 |
| Citation Volume: | 324 |
| Citation Year: | 2009 |
| Type: | citation/reference |
| Text: | Size and shape of Saturn‘s moon Titan; 2009; Article; Journal; Science; Zebker, Howard A.; Stiles, Bryan ; Hensley, Scott ; Lorenz, Ralph ; Kirk, Randolph L.; Lunine, Jonathan |
| URL (THUMBNAIL): | http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/thumbnails/outside_thumb.jpg |
| URL (INDEX PAGE): | http://www.sciencemag.org/content/324/5929/921.short |
| Date Other: | Thu, 1 Dec 2011 15:09 -0600 |
| Publisher: | American Association for the Advancement of Science |
