A 5-Micron-Bright Spot on Titan: Evidence for Surface Diversity

• DOI: 10.1126/science.1117075
• Publication Date: 2005-10-06T23:57:52Z
• Authors: Jason W. Barnes; Robert H. Brown; Elizabeth P. Turtle; Alfred S. McEwen; Ralph D. Lorenz; Michael Janssen; Emily L. Schaller; Michael E. Brown; Bonnie J. Buratti; Christophe Sotin; Caitlin Griffith; Roger Clark; Jason Perry; Stephanie Fussner; John Barbara; Richard West; Charles Elachi; Antonin H. Bouchez; Henry G. Roe; Kevin H. Baines; Giancarlo Bellucci; Jean-Pierre Bibring; Fabrizio Capaccioni; Priscilla Cerroni; Michel Combes; Angioletta Coradini; Dale P. Cruikshank; Pierre Drossart; Vittorio Formisano; Ralf Jaumann; Yves Langevin; Dennis L. Matson; Thomas B. McCord; Phillip D. Nicholson; Bruno Sicardy
• Keywords: Albedo (alchemy); Bright spot; Imaging spectrometer

Observations from the Cassini Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer show an anomalously bright spot on Titan located at 80 degrees W 20 S. This area is in reflected light all observed wavelengths, but most noticeable 5 microns. The associated with a surface albedo feature identified images taken by Imaging Science Subsystem. We discuss various hypotheses about source of spot, reaching conclusion that probably due to variation composition, perhaps recent geophysical phenomena.