Posted on 12/18/2009 3:11:00 PM PST by dragnet2
A photo from Cassini shows sunlight reflecting from a giant lake of methane on the northern half of Saturn's moon Titan.
(CNN) -- NASA scientists revealed Friday a first-of-its-kind image from space showing reflecting sunlight from a lake on Saturn's largest moon, Titan.
It's the first visual "smoking gun" evidence of liquid on the northern hemisphere of the moon, scientists said, and the first-ever photo from another world showing a "specular reflection" -- which is reflection from a liquid surface.
Jaumann said he was surprised when he first saw the photos transmitting from Cassini, orbiting Saturn about a billion miles from Earth.
"It was great because if you look at photos of planets, you mostly see nothing is happening. But in two hours we saw a glint of light getting brighter."
Titan's similarities to Earth have attracted NASA's attention for decades. It's the only body besides our own in the solar system that is believed to have liquid on its surface. Like Earth, Titan has an atmosphere which is mostly nitrogen.
Experts believe the presence of liquid on a planet or moon improves the chances that some kind of life could develop there.
The project is based out of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
let’s send Barack and Michele there for another honeymoon.
After all, it is a “moon”.
Nope, Too cold!
“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” —Psalm 19:1
ping
How did our dinosaurs get over there to make petrochemicals?
Can you say...Flying Dutchman...?
a giant lake of methane on the northern half of Saturn's moon TitanThanks dragnet2.
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I'll tell ya, Pluto must be pissed - first it gets demoted from a full planet to just another "Kuiper Belt Object" or "plutino", and now some NASA folks are referring to Titan as a planet... It just adds insult to injury... Pluto just can't get no respect...
Liquid methane huh?....been there.....wasn’t pretty!...kind of embarassing actually..
Methane is a gas at earth temperatures, can only be maintained as a liquid under pressure.
THe US exploded to nuclear bombs in space in either the late 50’s or early 60’s. There were explosions. How else do you account for mutant aliens like the Obamas, Clintons, Gore, Reid, Pelosi, Boxer, Franken and Frank?
“Man.... if someone lit a match up there it would blow the place up!”
Only if someone was feeding oxygen to the fire.
How about one that’s in focus?
Cool find!
-295 F. I kinda doubt there’s anything alive there. It’s probably methane.
Just before you pass out??? ;-)
What the photo doesn’t show is the alien roach-coach directly below the cloud.
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