Kraken Mare

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Kraken Mare

False-color high resolution mosaic of synthetic aperture radar images showing all of Kraken Mare. The large island Mayda Insula is left of top center, and Jingpo Lacus is at upper left.
Feature type Mare
Coordinates 68°N 310°W / 68°N 310°W / 68; -310Coordinates: 68°N 310°W / 68°N 310°W / 68; -310
Diameter 1,170 km[note 1]
Eponym Kraken

Kraken Mare is the largest known body of liquid on the surface of Saturn's moon Titan. It was discovered in 2007 by the Cassini probe and was named in 2008 after the Kraken, a legendary sea monster.[1]

Specular reflection off Jingpo Lacus in the Kraken Mare region, observed by Cassini on July 8, 2009

At 400,000 km²,[2] Kraken Mare is believed to be the largest of numerous seas and lakes in Titan's north polar region.[1] Its status as a sea of hydrocarbons was identified by radar imagery. Only a portion of the sea has been imaged by radar, but its wider extent is indicated in visible light/infrared images that indicate a larger expanse. Kraken Mare is believed to be similar in size to the Caspian Sea.[3]

An island in the sea is named Mayda Insula.

As part of the proposed Titan Saturn System Mission, a probe would splash down on Kraken Mare in order to scrutinize its composition, depth and numerous other properties.

Gallery

  • False-color high resolution radar image mosaic showing part of Kraken Mare in the center and lower left, with large island Mayda Insula just above and right of center. Parts of Jingpo Lacus, Punga Mare, and Ligeia Mare can be seen at upper left, top right and far right, respectively.

  • Synthetic aperture radar image (top) overlaid onto a visible light/infrared image of Titan's north polar region, showing the full extent of Kraken Mare.

  • Radar image showing the northern portion of Kraken Mare, including the large island Mayda Insula.

  • Radar image of a portion of Kraken Mare with a rugged coastline and numerous islands.

Notes

  1. ↑ The USGS web site gives the size as a "diameter", but it is actually the length in the longest dimension.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Kraken Mare". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Science Center. Retrieved 2012-03-16. 
  2. ↑
  3. ↑ Cassini–Huygens: Multimedia-Images

External links

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