Q&A: Our Solar System

Q:
Has Saturn's moon Titan ever been photographed by Chandra? I know the Hubble Space Telescope has taken infrared images of Titan, but I was wondering if this moon has been photographed in X-rays. If not, would there be a chance for such a 'photo' opportunity prior to Cassini's Huygen's landing?

A:
Saturn will have a conjunction with the Crab Nebula on January 5, 2003. This will be a rare event since Saturn passes very close to the pulsar in the Crab. The plan is to observe the Saturn-Titan system at this time, and to see how Saturn's rings, and the atmospheres of Saturn and Titan absorb X-rays. This data may give us new information about the composition of these objects.

Recent Press Release: http://chandra.harvard.edu/press/04_releases/press_040504.html (05 Apr 2004)