Science

Judi Lynn

(162,388 posts) Sat Dec 3, 2022, 01:43 AM Dec 2022

Webb stuns scientists with new view of Saturn's moon Titan

Story by Science Desk • Yesterday 3:45 AM

Saturn’s Moon Titan is very similar to Earth in many ways while also being very different. It has rivers, lakes and seas just like the Earth but the liquid filling these bodies is composed of hydrocarbons including methane and ethane, not water. After waiting for years, scientists have finally gained access to the James Webb Space Telescope’s views of this peculiar moon.

Titan is the only moon in the solar system with a dense atmosphere. According to NASA, its scientists have been waiting for years to use Webb’s infrared cameras to study Titan’s atmosphere to get to know more about its weather patterns and gaseous composition.

The scientists compared different images captured by the telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) instrument and confirmed that a bright spot in Titan’s northern hemisphere is actually a large cloud. They detected a second cloud not long after. Detecting clouds helps validate computer models of Titan’s climate.

Next, the scientists wanted to understand whether the clouds were moving or changing shape, as this might reveal important information about the flow of air in Titan’s atmosphere. To do this, the team requested follow-up observations with the Keck Observatory in Hawai’i. The scientists were concerned that the clouds might disappear by the time they got the follow-up observations but they found clouds in the same locations, with different shapes.

More:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/webb-stuns-scientists-with-new-view-of-saturns-moon-titan/ar-AA14ONGw

3 replies

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Highlight:

Webb stuns scientists with new view of Saturn's moon Titan (Original Post) Judi Lynn Dec 2022 OP

Saturn's moon Titan looks just like Earth in this incredible James Webb image Judi Lynn Dec 2022 #1

One of Titan's landmark's is the Kraken Mare (sea) speak easy Dec 2022 #3

Straight from the source. usonian Dec 2022 #2

Judi Lynn

(162,388 posts)

1. Saturn's moon Titan looks just like Earth in this incredible James Webb image

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Sat Dec 3, 2022, 01:59 AM

Dec 2022

Story by Joshua Hawkins • Yesterday 8:39 PM

Titan has always been an intriguing satellite. Not only is this moon that orbits Saturn believed to be intricate and complex, but it also looks eerily similar to the Earth whenever you look at it. In the latest James Webb images of Titan, the comparison to Earth is even more apt, as the planet looks like a twin of our own.

Titan is Saturn’s largest moon and has thus been one of the most intriguing targets for observation around the ringed planet. In the latest images captured of the planetary satellite, an international team of researchers has looked to dig deeper into the clouds that cover Titan, in a bid to try to learn more about the Earth-like moon.

While previous observations, as well as the latest Webb image of Titan, may look like Earth, scientists believe it couldn’t be more different. A recent study on Titan’s landscapes suggested the planet is made of more fragile components, and even how those landscapes came to form. But something that has always been intriguing about this satellite is why it looks so similar to our own planet.

While studies in the past have attempted to learn more about whatever link or similarities Earth and Titan may have, research is ongoing. In the latest bid to learn more about the moon, images of Titan were captured using the James Webb space telescope. With the telescope’s various instruments, the team was able to capture what appears to be clouds making their way across the surface of the moon.

More:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/saturns-moon-titan-looks-just-like-earth-in-this-incredible-james-webb-image/ar-AA14Qzo9?li=BBnb7Kz