In a bid to further our knowledge of one of Saturn ’s moonshine , Titan , a squad of background - based scientists successfully carried out a trickymaneuverlast Wednesday using NASA ’s Cassini space vehicle that allowed them to bounce a radio receiver signal off the moon ’s surface , send entropy back to a receiver locate 1 billion miles off on Earth . It is hoped that the information gathered will slough light on the composition of Titan ’s vast limpid neighborhood .
Titan , the largest of Saturn’s62 moons , has attracted a raft of attention in recent years because of its bizarrely world - corresponding qualities . Titanis cloaked in a dull , goldenhazethat obscures our view of its open and kept its secrets enshroud for many years . But data assemble recently , in special observations from the Cassini spacecraft , has lift the humeral veil on this moon , bring out many unique features .
Much like Earth , Titan ’s aura is preponderantly composed ofNitrogenand its airfoil is decorate with seas , lake and flowing river . It has been hypothecate that rather than being filled with liquid water , they are composed of swimming methane or ethane . However , this suggestion is not based on direct observation but rather the fact that the condition on Titan would result in methane and ethane being in a liquid state
“ There is no really unmediated measurement that tells us what they are exactly , ” Essam Marouf , a member of the Cassini wireless scientific discipline squad , toldLA Times . “ If the information from this morning is good enough , it will tell us what these liquidness really are . ”
Marouf explain that they are basically using Titan as a mirror to bounce the Cassini radio signal back to Earth . The nature of this echo , which is picked up by a scope array in Australia , should then hopefully give us a more thorough agreement of Titan ’s Earth’s surface .
While a similar operation was carried out back in May , at that time scientist were using Cassini to gather information on two of Titan ’s vast seas ; Ligea Mare and Kraken Mare . This time they mastermind the radio sign towards an expanse between these two seas which is know to contain smaller bodies of liquid .
Researchers are currently analyzing the data and desire to present the result at a Cassini meeting next week .
[ ViaLos Angeles Times ]
