Scientists Discover Liquid on Saturn's Moon Titan

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    Liquid Titan
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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the discovery of liquid on Saturn's moon Titan, specifically the presence of lakes of liquid methane and the implications for understanding its atmospheric and surface processes. The scope includes theoretical implications, observational confirmations, and the historical context of previous predictions regarding Titan's surface conditions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Historical

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that the discovery of liquid methane on Titan may challenge the traditional biological origin theories of petroleum on Earth.
  • Others note that the existence of lakes on Titan was predicted over 20 years ago, and the recent findings serve as further confirmation of those predictions.
  • A participant highlights the challenges of observing Titan's weather patterns due to its distance from Earth and the dense haze that obscures direct observation.
  • It is mentioned that while rain was considered a likely mechanism for the methane cycle, direct observations of rainfall had not been made until recent imaging efforts revealed a drizzle occurring on Titan.
  • The timing of the drizzle is discussed, with observations indicating it lasts for a significant duration due to Titan's slow rotation.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that the discovery of liquid methane on Titan is significant and confirms earlier predictions, but there are differing views on the implications for the origins of petroleum on Earth and the understanding of Titan's atmospheric processes.

Contextual Notes

The discussion reflects limitations in observational capabilities due to Titan's distance and atmospheric conditions, as well as unresolved questions regarding the mechanisms of methane transport and precipitation.

Astronomy news on Phys.org
So petroleum on Earth may not have the biological origin?
 
Not really new news, just further confirmation.

Liquid Lakes on Titan
The existence of oceans or lakes of liquid methane on Saturn's moon Titan was predicted more than 20 years ago. But with a dense haze preventing a closer look it has not been possible to confirm their presence. Until the Cassini flyby of July 22, 2006, that is.
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/image-details.cfm?imageID=2432
 
Last edited by a moderator:
B. Elliott said:
Not really new news, just further confirmation.

Liquid Lakes on Titan

http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/image-details.cfm?imageID=2432

Pretty cool...

Until now, however, scientists were unsure how the methane got from the ground to the sky and vice versa. Although rain was the obvious candidate, no one had been able to actually see it raining. Titan is about 1 billion miles from Earth, so charting the local weather is a challenge.

The two telescopes snapped images of the moon as the morning sun caught its leading edge, revealing a thick methane cloud bank and a steady drizzle.

The drizzle appears to dissipate after about 10:30 a.m. Titan time, the research team said. Because Titan rotates so slowly, the morning sprinkle lasts about three Earth days, conditions that might test the hardiest Brit.

http://articles.latimes.com/2007/oct/13/science/sci-titan13
 
Last edited by a moderator:

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