On Tuesday, Scientists said they have found the best evidence yet of ice volcanoes on Saturn's giant moon Titan. Such a volcano on Titan may spew out hydrocarbons and ice instead of molten lava.

"We finally have some proof that Titan is an active world," said geophysicist Randolph Kirk of the U.S. Geological Survey, who presented the findings.

The latest evidence comes from the international Cassini spacecraft, which spied two peaks over 3,000 feet tall and what looked like old volcanic flows. There's no sign of volcanic activity on Titan, nevertheless scientists are keeping watch.

Titan is one of the few bodies in the solar system with a thick atmosphere made up of nitrogen and methane. The source of methane remains a mystery. The existence of volcanoes may help explain how the moon got its smoggy atmosphere.

Launched in 1997, Cassini entered orbit around Saturn in 2004 to study its rings and many moons including its largest, Titan. The mission is a project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency.

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Newer Post Older Post Home