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Astronomy Picture of the Day - Titan Seas Reflect Sunlight
APOD.NASA.gov ^
| 27 Mar, 2022
| Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, U. Arizona, U. Idaho
Posted on 03/27/2022 2:36:59 PM PDT by MtnClimber
Explanation: Why would the surface of Titan light up with a blinding flash? The reason: a sunglint from liquid seas. Saturn's moon Titan has numerous smooth lakes of methane that, when the angle is right, reflect sunlight as if they were mirrors. Pictured here in false-color, the robotic Cassini spacecraft that orbited Saturn from 2004 to 2017 imaged the cloud-covered Titan in 2014 in different bands of cloud-piercing infrared light. This specular reflection was so bright it saturated one of Cassini's infrared cameras. Although the sunglint was annoying -- it was also useful. The reflecting regions confirm that northern Titan houses a wide and complex array of seas with a geometry that indicates periods of significant evaporation. During its numerous passes of our Solar System's most mysterious moon, Cassini has revealed Titan to be a world with active weather -- including times when it rains a liquefied version of natural gas.
TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: astronomy; carbon; cassini; hydrocarbons; lakes; liquid; methane; moon; nasa; naturalgas; rain; saturn; solarsystem; titan; weather
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To: MtnClimber
2
posted on
03/27/2022 2:37:18 PM PDT
by
MtnClimber
(For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on mycreen name for my FR home page.)
To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; abb; AFB-XYZ; AFPhys; America_Right; AZ .44 MAG; ...
Pinging the APOD list.
🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔
3
posted on
03/27/2022 2:38:01 PM PDT
by
MtnClimber
(For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on mycreen name for my FR home page.)
To: MtnClimber
They must have fish in those methane lakes.
4
posted on
03/27/2022 2:43:19 PM PDT
by
minnesota_bound
(Need more money to buy gas)
To: minnesota_bound
I would love to go there with a fishing rod, but what would you use for bait?
5
posted on
03/27/2022 2:49:04 PM PDT
by
MtnClimber
(For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on mycreen name for my FR home page.)
To: MtnClimber
YOU would be the bait : )
Bring a fishing buddy.
6
posted on
03/27/2022 2:51:17 PM PDT
by
minnesota_bound
(Need more money to buy gas)
To: MtnClimber
Reminds me of Ben Bova's old sci-fi story The Dueling Machine. (I haven't read it for well over 40 years, so some of my recollections might be...hazy.)
7
posted on
03/27/2022 2:53:28 PM PDT
by
grey_whiskers
(The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change with out notice.)
To: MtnClimber
"...what would you use for bait?" Various hydrocarbon-based chemicals molded to look like salmon eggs.
Just a guess.
8
posted on
03/27/2022 3:01:41 PM PDT
by
GaltAdonis
( )
To: MtnClimber
Oxygen content of Mars atmosphere: 0.13%
9
posted on
03/27/2022 3:07:44 PM PDT
by
TChad
("Joe, we should evacuate the civilians before the military. You understand that, right? Joe?")
To: MtnClimber
10
posted on
03/27/2022 3:23:38 PM PDT
by
piasa
(Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
To: MtnClimber
Cassini has revealed Titan to be a world with active weather — including times when it rains a liquefied version of natural gas.
—
Sounds nice. Better pack an extra set of gloves and wool socks.
11
posted on
03/27/2022 3:42:17 PM PDT
by
Flick Lives
(The CDC. Brought to you by Pfizer)
To: Flick Lives
"including times when it rains a liquefied version of natural gas." Smoking is discouraged.
To: Flick Lives
13
posted on
03/27/2022 4:56:55 PM PDT
by
MtnClimber
(For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on mycreen name for my FR home page.)
To: MtnClimber
it rains a liquefied version of natural gas. I like it.
14
posted on
03/27/2022 5:30:40 PM PDT
by
dragnet2
(Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
To: MtnClimber
This was taken from Space Shuttle STS-36, showing the same thing, sunlight being reflected through the clouds off our oceans.
15
posted on
03/27/2022 6:02:04 PM PDT
by
dragnet2
(Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
To: MtnClimber
I would love to go there with a fishing rod, but what would you use for bait? That's easy. Pelosi, of course! :-)
16
posted on
03/27/2022 6:40:38 PM PDT
by
AFB-XYZ
(Stand up, or bend over)
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