new Methane Lake on Titan

The Cassini space probe has discovered a huge methane lake in the “tropical” regions of Saturn’s moon Titan, according to Space.com. Such bodies of liquid had only been found at the poles of Saturn’s largest moon.

Size of methane lake

The methane lake is about the size of the Great Salt Lake at its lowest recorded level, about 925 square miles and 3 feet deep. NASA also believes there are a number of smaller and shallower ponds in the “tropical” region of Titan, similar to marshes on Earth.

Titan the only moon with an atmosphere

According to Space.com’s profile of Titan, the moon is Saturn’s largest and the second largest moon in the solar system next to Jupiter’s Ganymede. It is the only moon to have a significant atmosphere, comprised of 95 percent nitrogen and 5 percent methane. The surface temperature is minus 290 degrees, making the term “tropical” relative. The surface atmospheric pressure is 1.6 bars; Earth is one bar. Titan’s atmosphere extends 370 miles, largely due to the moon’s low gravity.

http://news.yahoo.com/cassini-discovers-methane-lake-titans-tropical-region-182400297.html

image sourse:
http://www.geekosystem.com/titan-lakes-nasa/

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