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Credit & Copyright: David A. Hardy
(AstroArt)
Explanation:
It's
been raining on Titan.
In fact, it's likely been raining methane on Titan
and that's not an
April Fools' joke.
The almost familiar scene depicted in this artist's vision
of the surface of Saturn's largest moon looks
across an eroding landscape into a stormy sky.
That scenario is consistent with
seasonal rain storms
temporarily
darkening Titan's surface along the moon's
equatorial regions, as seen by instruments onboard
the Cassini spacecraft.
Of course on frigid Titan,
with surface temperatures of
about -290 degrees F (-180 degrees C),
the cycle of evaporation, cloud formation,
and rain involves liquid
methane instead of water.
Lightning could
also be possible in Titan's thick,
nitrogen-rich
atmosphere.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Titan - methane - cassini spacecraft
Publications with words: Titan - methane - cassini spacecraft
See also: