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Lake spotted on Titan?

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the ultimate-polar-bear-swim dept.

jahead writes "It looks like a lake has been seen on Saturn's moon Titan by the Cassini probe. But don't get too excited yet. As mentioned by Elizabeth Turtle in the article, it could also be a dried up lake that left dark deposits."

11 of 197 comments (clear)

  1. What would be the significance of this? by bc90021 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'm not trolling, I'm curious. Surely, liquids exist in space, and surely they must pool? If it were a *water* lake I'd say that'd be something (life!?), but on a planet where there's likely methane rain, there's likely methane lakes.

    --
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    1. Re:What would be the significance of this? by ProfaneBaby · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It's based primarily on the assumption that liquid pools are more likely to harbor the beginnings of 'some form' of life. Methane, being a carbon derivative, could perhaps provide the initial basis for simple lifeforms.

      I basically agree with you - the 'wow' factor is nice, but the true value is still pretty questionable.

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    2. Re:What would be the significance of this? by AviLazar · · Score: 2, Insightful


      That is because mod's are fickle idiots. They don't agree with something so mod it troll. I get meta-mods two-three times a day...if i see yours i will meta-mod it. :)


      On the whole, I agree with you - this is not that impressive. I don't think anyone is going to say "hey lets go swim in liquid methane"...if it was water I would be more impressed. Obviously on a planet that rain's methane there would be a buildup of methane which would equate to a pool. It's like being shocked we have lakes full of water!

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    3. Re:What would be the significance of this? by Leroy_Brown242 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      "The problem with oil isn't that we're using it - it's that we have no plan to handle the byproducts produced by using it."

      So the hangover is the problem, not the drinking?

      One is caused by the other. If we can't effectivly eliminate the issues our planet suffers by using fossil fuels, then we need to stop.

      --
      Pretty Pictures!
  2. It could also be.. by erikkemperman · · Score: 2, Insightful

    But don't get too excited yet [...] it could also be a dried up lake that left dark deposits.

    IANA rocket scientist but.. Would we not be excited if it turned out to be a lake -- dried up or otherwise? I mean, are dried-up lakes often found out there, relative to not-yet-dried-up ones? Just curious.

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  3. So there's this feature... by exp(pi*sqrt(163)) · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ...clearly visible and 235km across that looks like a like. Previosuly a probe landed on Titan photographing lakelike features all the way down. And the only way people can be sure it is a lake is by viewing the feature from the right angle to see if it glints in the sun. 235km across! I don't know about you, but if that's the best they can do, I think they loaded up Cassini and Huygens with the wrong set of instruments.

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    1. Re:So there's this feature... by hcob$ · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Actually, I think it's an elegantly simple solution to a complex problem. To detect "lakes" by other means would likely require a device that performs many varied tasks consistantly and have the ability to survive a space trip. Also, it would most likely be a highly dedicated piece of equipment taking up valuable space. Not to mention, how do you detect if something is liquid from orbit??? If you have an easy answer, I'm sure NASA would LOVE to hear it. Also, they were going to have cameras anyway for pictures and such. So being the physics/flight path calculating gods that they are, they were able to tell that in some of the flybys they were going to be at a 90 degree angle and can just point a camera at the object and quickly know if it was a lake. A secondary use for a relatively small piece of equipment is a much more desirable approach to another piece of equiment that may or may not even be used...... I think it's pretty obviuos that they chose the right equipment.

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    2. Re:So there's this feature... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      NewScientist reports the picture was taken from 450,000 kilometers away. Pretty darn good resolution to spot a 235 km lake from that distance.

    3. Re:So there's this feature... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Hello, McFly? Star Trek like sensors that can detect chemical composition of a substance under any condition under any situation from zillions of miles away do not exist. Scientist still have to go thru the hypothesis, observer, conclusion, reexamine again, over steps.

  4. Re:Light please! by MightyMartian · · Score: 4, Insightful

    There's no free oxygen in Titan's atmosphere. You couldn't even get the match to burn.

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  5. The wrong set of instruments by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I think they loaded up Cassini and Huygens with the wrong set of instruments.

    The instruments on Cassini and Huygens are revealing Titan as place worthy of much further exploration. I thought the reveal of a river bed like structure on an ice moon was worth the price of admission alone. Total success in my book, if nothing more these missions define what we might want to send in subsequent probes.