First Images From Titan

The first images from the Saturnian moon Titan, taken by the spacecraft Huygens, arrived at Earth earlier today. Huygens landed safely on Titan earlier today, marking the first moon in the solar system, other than Earth’s moon, to be explored by a space craft. The first images appear to be channels cut by a liquid — like river and streambeds running through hilly terrain.

Scientists burst into tears upon learning of the successful landing, and were at a loss for words. “I'm shocked. It’s remarkable,” said Carolyn Porco, of the Cassini Imaging Center. “There are river channels. There are channels cut by something … a fluid of some sort is my best guess.”