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Titan Update
New Scientist is carrying this article detailing some of the findings from the recent Huygens probe to Titan. Rivers of methane, mountains of ice, and a flammable atmosphere all add up to an extremely weird place. Here's to hoping they fund a follow-up that'll include a rover, or at least a probe that'll last more than a few hours.
"Flammable atmosphere"?
I'm not entirely sure, but I don't think that methane can "burn" without oxygen. Burning is nothing more than VERY rapid (sometimes explosive) oxidation of a substance. Iron goes through it at such a slow pace that you can "put it out" with a wire brush.
But ya gotta have oxygen... (Maybe chlorine, the only other gas that can support combustion, but not methane all by itself.)
Posted by: Drumwaster on January 25, 2005 11:08 AMThis looks like an interesting place. I'd like to go there. Maybe there's a form of primitive life like organism, similar to viruses, using DNA and Methane for liquid.
Posted by: Otto on October 1, 2005 12:20 AMThis looks like an interesting place. I'd like to go there. Maybe there's a form of primitive life like organism, similar to viruses, using DNA and Methane for liquid.
Posted by: Otto on October 1, 2005 12:20 AMThis looks like an interesting place. I'd like to go there. Maybe there's a form of primitive life like organism, similar to viruses, using DNA and Methane for liquid.
Posted by: Otto on October 1, 2005 12:21 AM