- Xanadu (Titan)
Infobox feature on Titan
name=Xanadu
caption=Xanadu is the bright area at the centre-right of this image
type=Bright albedo feature
latitude=
N_or_S=
longitude=
E_or_W=
diameter=
eponym=Xanadu Xanadu (often called "Xanadu Regio" , though this is not its official name) is a highly reflective area on the leading hemisphere of Saturn's moon Titan. Its name comes from
Xanadu , the legendary palace described inSamuel Taylor Coleridge 's poem "Kubla Khan ".The feature was first identified in
1994 by astronomers using theHubble Space Telescope atinfrared wavelengths, and has recently been imaged in more detail by the Cassini space probe. Xanadu is about the size ofAustralia . Preliminary observations indicate that Xanadu is a plateau-like region of highly reflective water ice, contrasting somewhat with the darker lower regions. These in turn seem to contrast quite sharply with the very dark maria, which were once believed to be seas of liquidhydrocarbons , but are now thought to beplain s.Recent images by Cassini during encounters in October and December
2004 reveal complex albedo patterns in the western portion of Xanadu. While scientists are still debating the significance and cause of the albedo patterns, one likely culprit istectonism . Evidence for this exists in a pattern of criss-crossing dark lineaments near the western side of Xanadu. Scientists are also investigating the boundary between Xanadu and Shangri-la, a dark region to the west. The shape of the boundary suggests that the dark material embays the bright terrain.Radar images taken by Cassini have revealed dunes, hills, rivers and valleys present on Xanadu. The features are likely carved in ice, rather than solid ground, by liquid
methane orethane .ee also
*
Tui Regio References
* [http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/image-details.cfm?path=../multimedia/images/titan/images/PIA06148.jpg&type=image Map of Titan with Xanadu and Huygens landing site visible] from the Cassini-Huygens mission homepage
External links
* [http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060719_xanadu.html Patch of Saturn's Moon Resembles Earth]
* [http://www.theregister.com/2006/07/20/titan_xanadu/ Cassini finds land on Titan] Lucy Sherriff (The Register ) Thursday 20th July 2006 13:36 GMT
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