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Titan's seas look more and more like Earth's — except they're made of methane

The more we look at them, the more intriguing they are.

Saturn's moon Titan has waves of methane crashing down on its coastline

It's one of the most Earth-like places in our solar system... except it's nothing like the Earth.

Scientists might have finally solved the mystery of the “magic” islands on Saturn’s moon

Scientists suggest Titan's 'magic islands' are floating chunks of porous, frozen organic solids.

Scientists reveal the secrets of Martian and Titanian rivers

Remote sensing reveals the intensity of past and present river flows on other worlds.

James Webb Telescope spots a rare sight on an extraterrestrial body: clouds

For centuries astronomers have been curious about this moon of Saturn, and thanks to new telescopes like James Webb, we're starting to uncover some of the mysteries of this moon.

Titan's largest methane sea is over 1000 feet deep, says a new paper

We don’t know exactly how deep because our radar couldn't pierce through all of it.

First geological map of Titan reveals varied, intriguing geology

Titan is a lot like the Earth... except it's nothing like the Earth.

Titan's sand dunes could be caused by cosmic rays

These findings will have unprecedented implications for the next space mission to Titan.

NASA plans to send a helicopter drone to Titan in search of life

Titan is of interest because it is the only body in our solar system (besides Earth) that has liquid rivers, lakes, and seas on its surface.

Saturn's moon Titan has rainfall and seasons

It's raining hydrocarbon on Titan.

Scientists spot dust storms on Titan for the first time

It's the third Solar System body, in addition to Earth and Mars, where dust storms have been observed.

NASA reveals new, crystal-clear images of Saturn's moon Titan

Looking sharp, Titan!

Silicon-based life on Earth? Only artificially, so far -- but maybe natural on other planets

A team of researchers forced bacteria to create carbon-silicon bonds, and their experiment showcases why life on our planet chose carbon.

Looking to put a sub on Titan, NASA recreated its methane oceans in Washington

Titan's "water" isn't even water.

First topographic map of Titan reveals surprisingly Earth-like features

The intriguing moon Titan just became even more interesting.

Dragonfly dual-quadcopter drone proposed to explore Titan to understand how life appeared

The final selection for New Horizons is expected in mid-2019.

'Impossible' clouds spotted on Titan - for the second time

Astronomers have made a puzzling observation which could have big implications for our understanding of Titan.

NASA plans to send an autonomous submarine into space -- for a very good reason

The sub will be used to explore Titan's oceans.

Cassini finds canyons flooded with liquid hydrocarbons on Titan

NASA's ever-resourceful Cassini probe found steep-sided canyons on Saturn's moon Titan.

Flying Aerobot drone is being designed to soar in the skies of Titan

The drone will have to be light but solid enough to survive in the moon's harsh atmosphere.

Scientists find hydrocarbon dunes on Saturn's moon Titan

Saturn's moon Titan has some odd similarities to Earth: it has clouds, lakes and rain, except they're made of methane and ethane.

Lakes on Titan might have formed like sinkholes on Earth

Researchers from the European Space Agency (ESA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have been trying to figure out how Titan's seas formed - more exactly, how the depressions in which the seas are formed.

NASA wants to explore Titan's methane oceans with a robot submarine

At this years' Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Symposium, NASA's Glenn COMPASS Team discussed at large the possibility of exploring Titan, Saturn's largest moon, with a robotic submarine that would dive deep inside the oceans of liquefied natural gas. Such a mission, if ever funded, could help answer some important questions like what are the defining chemical building blocks required to birth and sustain life. Titan is very similar to Earth in terms of cycling systems, elemental composition and terrestrial geography, so there's much insight to be gained.

Saturn's Moon Titan has Strong Winds and Hydrocarbon Dunes

New experimental research found that Saturn’s largest Moon, Titan, has much stronger winds than previously believed. These rogue winds actually shape the hydrocarbon dunes observed on its surface. Titan is, along with Earth, one of the few places in the solar system known to have fields of wind-blown dunes on its surface. The only other ones […]

New 'Mystery Islands' found on Titan's Methane Sea

The enduring Cassini spacecraft returns with new insight into the hydrocarbon seas from Saturn’s moon Titan. The latest findings were reported after the spacecraft’s most recent flyby above Titan’s northern hemisphere on August 21, where it performed observations of the largest liquid methane/ethane sea, the 400,000 square kilometre Kraken Mare. The Cassini astronomers were looking to probe […]

Cassini captures stunning picture of Titan's seas

Saturn’s Moon Titan is a remarkable place; it’s the only place aside for the Earth which has liquids on its surface – albeit, the liquid isn’t water, but rather hydrocarbons: methane and ethane. Titan is too cold to have liquid water on its surface, but that doesn’t make it any less spectacular. NASA’s Cassini spacecraft […]

Saturn's moon Titan may be older than Saturn itself

Titan is in the spolight again! After astronomers spotted a passing geological feature, now a joint team from NASA and ESA found evidence that the moon may have formed before its planet. Generally, moons take shape after planets – but now, researchers have found convincing evidence that the nitrogen in Titan’s atmosphere originated in ancient conditions, […]

Never before seen "magic island" pops up on Saturn's Moon Titan

Astronomers have discovered a previously unspotted geological feature on Saturn’s moon, Titan. Pictures taken by the Cassini probe revealed a transient geological feature – a “magic island”. Now you see it, now you don’t The bright, mysterious object was seen in Ligeia Mare, the second-largest sea on Saturn’s moon Titan. But Cassini took pictures of […]

'Waves' detected on Titan moon’s lakes - Scientists detect waves on another world for the first time

We are detecting waves on a world 1,272,000,000 km away from Earth. An interesting world The signature of isolated ripples was observed in a sea called Punga Mare on the surface of Saturn’s moon Titan; but before you get overly excited, you should know that these seas are not filled with water, but with hydrocarbons […]

Ingredient of Household Plastic Found on Saturn Moon

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has detected propylene, a chemical used greatly in everyday life, in things like food-storage containers, car bumpers and other consumer products, on Saturn’s Moon Titan. I really recommend watching the video below, as it explains the situation in great detail: A small amount of propylene was identified in Titan’s lower atmosphere by […]

US takes fastest supercomputer crown

In October 2010, China developed the fastest computer of the day, beating the previous record by 30% – quite an impressive feat. But the US didn’t just lie on its back. Titan, which resides at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee is an upgrade from the 2009 record holder, working at 17.59 petaflops per […]

Scientists propose space boat that paddles through Titan's methane lakes

Rovers, like Curiosity, have been great for gathering samples and studying the terrain and atmosphere of distant worlds, but what about environments less favorable to wheeled machines? An interesting concept has been unveiled recently, in which scientists propose landing a sort of robotic boat on Titan’s largest methane lake, in order to have a physical […]

Saturn's moon Titan most likely harbors a subsurface ocean of water

Last year, we reported on this incredible study from NASA scientists, where the possibility of a vast ocean of water beneath the surface of Titan, one of Saturn’s moon, was discussed. The study was in its incipient form, and now researchers have released a new report in which they conclude it’s very much likely that a huge […]

Earth's prehistoric atmosphere was covered in a haze similar to Saturn's moon, Titan

If you think today’s urban air, thickened with noxious smog, is terrible, just imagine how the Earth was filled in a shroud of hydrocarbons some 2.5 billion years ago. Back then, a haze dominated by methane engulfed the atmosphere such that light could barely reach the ground, similarly to what can be seen today on […]

Cassini reveals spectacular pictures of Saturn and Titan - its largest moon [shorties]

Cassini has sent some new remarkable pictures which brilliantly illustrate the difference in size between Saturn and Titan, its largest moon. Saturn dwarfs its moon easily, even though Titan, at 3,200 miles across, is bigger than Earth’s moon, which has a diameter of only 2159 miles. If you look really closely above Saturn’s rings, there […]

An ocean of water on Titan ?

Titan is one strange place; it’s a satellite, but it’s bigger than Mercury, and it’s also the only satellite known to have a dense atmosphere. Furthermore, aside from Earth, it’s the only place where evidence of liquid has been found on the surface. Now, after studying some abnormalities in the rotation of Saturn’s largest moon, […]

It's the methane rainy season on Titan

On Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, precipitations under the form of methane has scientists staggered. NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, through the use of its infrared camera, detected signs of heavy spring rain of the highly flammable liquefied natural gas sprinkling across vast fields of dunes near Titan’s equator. “They see for the very first time evidence of […]

Water and fog found on Titan, Saturn's moon

As I was writing in a previous post, Titan is quite unique, in that aside from our planet it’s the only place in our solar system where significant quantities of liquid are to be found (though most are liquid ethane and methane). That doesn’t seem to make much of a difference considering the chemistry of […]

Cassini Spacecraft To Dive Into Water Plume Of Saturn Moon

The Cassini spacecraft has made numerous valuable discoveries along the time, such as the ‘building blocks’ of life on Titan, as well as the mountains there, and the partial rings of Saturn, and now scientists eagerly await the dive of the probe into the water plum of Enceladus, a moon of Saturn. This will be […]

Mountains Discovered On Titan, Saturn's Largest Moon

Titan is a constant point of interest and scientists find out more fascinating things about this moon of Saturn almost every week. By analyzing images from NASA’s Cassini Radar instrument, a Brigham Young University professor helped discover and analyze mountains on Saturn’s largest moon, additional evidence that it has some of the most earthlike processes of […]

What is Titan -- Saturn's moon

  This is Saturn’s Moon – the largest moon of Saturn, the only moon known to have a dense atmosphere and the only object other than Earth for which clear evidence of stable bodies of surface liquid has been found – and these are just a few of the reasons which make studying it more […]