Astronomy on Tap Flagstaff | Dragonfly: A Mission to Titan

Join Lowell Observatory and Mother Road Brewing Co. on April 22nd at 6:30pm for Astronomy on Tap! Listen to fascinating science talks, play trivia to win out-of-this-world prizes, and of course, enjoy Mother Road brews on tap. This month’s speaker is Dr. Anna Engle who will be talking about the Dragonfly mission that will be heading to one of the moons of Saturn, Titan in 2028. Titan is unique among the solar system satellites. Features that set it apart include a thick nitrogen-rich atmosphere that supports ongoing methane photochemistry and a surface characterized by water-rich bedrock topped with a layer of organic sediment. And, given its primary elemental constituents of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen, it makes for an ideal prebiotic chemistry lab. These qualities, and more, have made this Saturnian moon a target for in situ exploration. The Dragonfly rotorcraft lander is anticipated to arrive at Titan in the mid-2030s with primary science goals featuring the investigation of prebiotic chemistry, potential for habitability, and formation processes of its frigid landscape. In this talk, we will explore the mechanics of the lander, the mission elements, and the attributes that make Titan so appealing to visit. We’ll see you there!