Riverbeds and Lakebeds Discovered on Saturn's Titan
Explanation:
Methane rain, evaporating lakes, flowing rivers,
and water ice-volcanoes all likely exist on Saturn's moon Titan,
according to
preliminary analyses of
recent images taken by the successful
Huygen's lander.
A snaking and branching riverbed is identified with the
dark channel near the top of the
above image, while a dark lakebed is identified across the image bottom.
Both the riverbed and lakebed were
thought
to be dry at the time the image was taken but contained a flowing liquid - likely
methane - in the recent past.
Titan's surface was found to appear
strangely similar to Earth even though it is so cold that
methane flows and water freezes into rock-hard ice.
Although the
Huygen's probe has now run
out of power, the images it returned will likely be studied for
decades to come.
The
Cassini mothership is
scheduled to continue to orbit
Saturn and return images for several more years.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
