Titan is the only world in the solar system apart Land of lakes and seas on its surface. But, unlike his brothers land, they consist of methane and ethane rather than water. It is assumed that methane on Titan plays a role similar to water in the hydrological cycle on Earth, but until now scientists had not found direct evidence for the existence of methane rain in middle latitudes. The lakes of methane are found only in the polar regions, while the rest of the moon's surface is covered by desert dunes of hydrocarbons. However, the images he took the European probe Huygens during the descent through the atmosphere apparently showing channels formed by the action of liquid. Does the rain in these latitudes was a thing of the past? Titan Was going through a period of drought? A mystery.
artist's rendering of the rain on Titan (Mark Garlick / NASA).
methane clouds in Titan's equatorial hearings on October 18, 2010, after the equinox (NASA).
Until today. The Cassini team published in the journal Science evidence of seasonal rainfall in midlatitudes satellite. Spring arrived the southern hemisphere in 2009-the seasons on Titan lasts seven years, and now scientists have been comparing the latest images with those taken in 2005. It appears that Titan's surface temperatures change rapidly as the seasonal variations in solar illumination, while the atmosphere suffers a slower titration. This temperature difference is important in explaining the wind circulation patterns and processes of cloud formation.
The first spring storm in the southern hemisphere of Titan appeared on September 27, 2010, moving to the east. Shortly after it was observed in Cassini images as Belet dunes region were dim by 10%, presumably by the action of methane rain. We're talking about an area of \u200b\u200b500000 square kilometers which has been suddenly struck by the effects of a storm. Titan is clear that the spring rains are torrential.
equatorial Storm appeared in September 2010 (NASA).
Changes produced by methane rain in the dune fields of Belet, Titan. A: 2007. B: September 2010, when it appeared the storm. C: October 2010, after the storm. D: end October 2010. E: January 2011 (NASA).
Changes produced by rain in the region of Adiri. A: 2007. B and C: January 2011, with 15 hours apart (NASA).
cloud formation over the oceans of the Northern Hemisphere in September 2009 (NASA).
remains to be demonstrated that these storms are the cause of the channels seen by Huygens, but it is more than possible. These rains seem to confirm the model in which the presence of methane clouds at middle latitudes is limited to the equinoxes. During the rest of "Year Titanic" (27 Earth years), the clouds appear almost exclusively in the polar regions. These results make Titan one of the most fascinating worlds of the Solar System, a world that deserves to be explored.
The complex chemical reactions that take place in the atmosphere of Titan.
artist's rendering of the rain on Titan (Mark Garlick / NASA).
methane clouds in Titan's equatorial hearings on October 18, 2010, after the equinox (NASA).
Until today. The Cassini team published in the journal Science evidence of seasonal rainfall in midlatitudes satellite. Spring arrived the southern hemisphere in 2009-the seasons on Titan lasts seven years, and now scientists have been comparing the latest images with those taken in 2005. It appears that Titan's surface temperatures change rapidly as the seasonal variations in solar illumination, while the atmosphere suffers a slower titration. This temperature difference is important in explaining the wind circulation patterns and processes of cloud formation.
The first spring storm in the southern hemisphere of Titan appeared on September 27, 2010, moving to the east. Shortly after it was observed in Cassini images as Belet dunes region were dim by 10%, presumably by the action of methane rain. We're talking about an area of \u200b\u200b500000 square kilometers which has been suddenly struck by the effects of a storm. Titan is clear that the spring rains are torrential.
equatorial Storm appeared in September 2010 (NASA).
Changes produced by methane rain in the dune fields of Belet, Titan. A: 2007. B: September 2010, when it appeared the storm. C: October 2010, after the storm. D: end October 2010. E: January 2011 (NASA).
Changes produced by rain in the region of Adiri. A: 2007. B and C: January 2011, with 15 hours apart (NASA).
cloud formation over the oceans of the Northern Hemisphere in September 2009 (NASA).
remains to be demonstrated that these storms are the cause of the channels seen by Huygens, but it is more than possible. These rains seem to confirm the model in which the presence of methane clouds at middle latitudes is limited to the equinoxes. During the rest of "Year Titanic" (27 Earth years), the clouds appear almost exclusively in the polar regions. These results make Titan one of the most fascinating worlds of the Solar System, a world that deserves to be explored.
The complex chemical reactions that take place in the atmosphere of Titan.
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