Formation of organic aerosols driven by photochemical reactions has been observed and suggested in CH4-containing atmospheres, including Titan and early Earth. However the detailed production and growth mechanisms of organic […]
Titan
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Titan
Possible Organic Precursors in Titan's Hydrocarbon
NASA researchers have confirmed the existence in Titan’s atmosphere of vinyl cyanide, which is an organic compound that could potentially provide the cellular membranes for microbial life to form in […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Cryobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Icy Worlds, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Saturn, Titan, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Building An Alien Ocean To Test Space Submarines
Building a submarine gets tricky when the temperature drops to -300 Fahrenheit and the ocean is made of methane and ethane.
Posted inPress Release, Titan
Cassini Finds Titan Has A Sea Level Like Earth Does
Saturn’s moon Titan may be nearly a billion miles away from Earth, but a recently published paper based on data from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft reveals a new way this distant […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release, Titan
New Titan Topographic Map
Using the now-complete Cassini data set, Cornell University astronomers have created a new global topographic map of Saturn’s moon Titan that has opened new windows into understanding its liquid flows […]
Posted inPress Release, Titan
Atmospheric Circulation, Chemistry, and Infrared Spectra of Titan-like Exoplanets Around Different Stellar Types
With the discovery of ever smaller and colder exoplanets, terrestrial worlds with hazy atmospheres must be increasingly considered. Our Solar System’s Titan is a prototypical hazy planet, whose atmosphere may […]
Posted inPress Release, Titan
Role Of The Global Water Ocean On The Evolution of Titan's Primitive Atmosphere
During the accretion of Titan, impact heating may have been sufficient to allow the global melting of water ice and the release of volatile compounds, mainly constituted of CO2, CH4 […]
Posted inPress Release, Titan
Cloud Of Hydrogen Cyanide and Benzene Found On Titan
Researchers with NASA’s Cassini mission found evidence of a toxic hybrid ice in a wispy cloud high above the south pole of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. The finding is a […]
Posted inPress Release, Titan
Direct Measurement of Interparticle Forces of Titan Aerosol Analogs ("Tholin") Using Atomic Force Microscopy
To understand the origin of the dunes on Titan, it is important to investigate the material properties of Titan’s organic sand particles on Titan. The organic sand may behave distinctively […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Press Release, Titan
ALMA Confirms Complex Chemistry in Titan's Atmosphere
Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, is one of our solar system’s most intriguing and Earth-like bodies. It is nearly as large as Mars and has a hazy atmosphere made up mostly […]