Titanic Saturn

barakn writes "Using the Crab Nebula as an x-ray source, scientists have observed Titan's x-ray shadow to get a preliminary estimate of the extent of its outer atmosphere. On the same page, another article discusses the possibility that the hydrocarbon seas of Titan bear waves, albeit slow-moving and widely spaced, 7 times higher than waves on Earth (additional wave links here, here, and here). And Cassini-Huygens has snapped a photo of Saturn showing "two small, faint dark spots" in the southern hemisphere (this link has convenient arrows pointing at them, or here). Cassini-Huygens will achieve Saturn orbit insertion on July 1st. Huygens will detach and enter Titan's atmosphere in January, 2005."

Comments

Data points!

[2nd Post!]

We barely understand weather on Earth; any and every bit of information we have on storms outside of Earth helps us to understand storms, and weather, on Earth, for one.

So that means waves on Titan and spots on Saturn.
This boils down to fluid dynamics, energy exchange, and chaos.

This also means it applies to helicopters, airplanes, submarines, cars, drip irrigation systems, washing machines, tornado prediction, and the lottery!

Oily sludge

[Anonymous Coward]

The model assumes Titan is pockmarked with seas made of 70 per cent ethane, 25 per cent methane, and 5 per cent nitrogen, and partially coated with an oily sludge.

That's no moon, that's a teenager!