Observations of a stationary mid-latitude cloud system on Titan

Abstract

We report the observation of a cloud system on Titan that remained localized near 40°S latitude and 60°W longitude for at least 34. h. Ground-based observations obtained with the SINFONI imaging spectrograph at the Very Large Telescope over four consecutive nights recorded the lifetime and altitude of the unresolved cloud system. Concomitant measurements made by Cassini/VIMS over 3. h resolved changes in the altitude and opacity of individual regions within the system during this time. Clouds are measured from 13 to 37. km altitude with optical depths per pixel ranging from τ=0.13 to 7. Short timescale rise times are consistent with previous measurements of the evolution of mid-latitude clouds; however the long timescale localization of the cloud structure is unexplained. We speculate about the role of mesoscale circulation in relation to cloud formation. © 2010 Elsevier Inc.