The Cassini spacecraft's Titan Radar Mapper instrument imaged this area atop Xanadu, the bright area of Titan, on April 30, 2006. The darkest areas could contain liquids, which tend to reflect the radar beam away from Cassini in the absence of winds, making the area appear quite dark.
Cassini's Search for Lakes Continues
After revealing a land of mountains and river channels near Titan's equator in April, Cassini's radar will illuminate the high northern reaches of Titan during the next flyby on July 21, 2006 (July 22 UTC). In winter's shadow since the arrival of Cassini in 2004, Titan's northern terrain could harbor methane lakes, which shrink in summer and expand in winter
Titan Flyby at a Glance
Date
July 22, 2016
Altitude
590 miles (950 km)
Speed
13,400 mph (6.0 km/sec)
