Mysterious Changing feature on Titan
Explanation:
What is that changing object in a cold
hydrocarbon sea of Titan?
Radar images from the robotic
Cassini spacecraft
orbiting
Saturn
have been recording the surface of the cloud-engulfed moon Titan for years.
When imaging the flat -- and hence radar dark -- surface of the
methane and
ethane lake called
Ligeia Mare,
an object appeared in 2013 just was not there in 2007.
Subsequent observations in 2014 found
the object remained -- but had changed!
The
featured image
shows how the 20-km long
object has appeared and evolved.
Current origin speculative explanations include
bubbling foam and
floating solids, but no one is sure.
Future observations may either resolve the enigma or open up more speculation.
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.
