NASA Reports Powerful Gusts on Saturn’s Titan
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Strong westerly winds of about 250 mph buffeted the Huygens probe as it descended through Titan’s upper atmosphere last month, NASA said Thursday. The winds eased to a mild breeze near the surface of Titan, Saturn’s largest moon.
A worldwide network of radio telescope facilities received the signals transmitted by Huygens to the Cassini orbiter during the probe’s descent and landing Jan. 14. By measuring small changes in the frequency of the signals, researchers determined the speed at which the probe was being blown across the surface.
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