Clear Spring Skies Emerge on Titan

[n2doc]

By Lisa Grossman September 21, 2010 | 6:30 pm |




Spring on Saturn’s moon Titan looks to be sunny and mostly cloud-free, according to a new analysis of data from the Cassini spacecraft.

Titan is the only body in the solar system other than Earth known to have liquid lakes, clouds and perhaps even rain. But instead of water, frigid Titan’s lakes and clouds are made of liquid hydrocarbons like ethane and methane.

While Earth’s northern hemisphere is moving into autumn, Titan’s northern hemisphere has been shifting from winter to spring for most of the six years Cassini has been there. A full year on Saturn — and therefore on all its moons — lasts 30 Earth years, and each season lasts about seven years.

Throughout the northern winter, Titan’s poles were shrouded in heavy clouds. But as the seasons changed, the clouds cleared, says planetary scientist Sebastian Rodriguez of the University of Paris Diderot.



Read More http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/09/clear-spring-skies-on-titan/

[FSogol]

1. Awesome. Thanks for posting. n/t

[eppur_se_muova]

2. Time to get those crops planted! nt

[Occulus]

3. We should send a lander ala Spirit/Opportunity there

Who knows what we could learn.