IMAGES AND CAPTION TEXT COURTESY OF NASA / JPL / University of Arizona
The three mosaics shown here were composed with data from Cassini ’ s visual and infrared mapping spectrometer taken during the last three Titan flybys , on Oct . 28 , 2005 ( left image ), Dec . 26 , 2005 ( middle image ), and Jan . 15 , 2006 ( right image ). The viewing geometry of the December flyby is roughly on Titan ’ s opposite hemisphere from the flybys in October and January . There are several important features to note in the images . The first is that the south polar cloud system was very bright during the December flyby , while during the October and January flybys , it is barely visible , indicating that the atmosphere over Titan ’ s south pole is very dynamic . Visible in the October and January images just south of the equator is Tui Reggio , a region nicknamed the “ chevron .” Tui Reggio is thought to be a surface deposit , probably of volcanic origin , and may be water and / or carbon dioxide frozen from the vapor .
impacts may cause those surface ice rocks to melt , creating water lakes which could persist over a “ few hundred years or longer ”. Still , this is a difficult strategy for the evolution of complex Earth-like life , a process which has been ongoing in earth for over 3 billion years , requiring a relatively stable environment , able to support life in a long term . It does not seem likely that those temporary “ impact oases ” with liquid water would be able to support carbon-based life . Still , a mysterious ocean below Titan ’ s surface could host life as we know it . Although its inner composition is still not completely understood , ESA ’ s probe Huygens and NASA ’ s Cassini spacecraft visited the moon and detected a global underground liquid water ocean , which is expected to have salts and ammonia as well . As well as the surface methane oceans , Titan ’ s water oceans also host great possibility of life . It would be concerning if in this new era of space exploration , basic science is ignored in our pursuit of colonization and mineral exploration on our closest neighbors . As engineering advances and new goals are in the minds of the modern explorers , it is in the responsibility of scientists to make sure that scientific progress is not shaded by private endeavor . Titan holds great potential for future studies in astrobiology , and its oceans may hide secrets
IMAGES AND CAPTION TEXT COURTESY OF NASA / JPL-Caltech / Space Science Institute
Saturn ’ s largest and second largest moons , Titan and Rhea , appear to be stacked on top of each other in this true-color scene from NASA ’ s Cassini spacecraft . The north polar hood can be seen on Titan appearing as a detached layer at the top of the moon on the top right .
important to answer one of the biggest questions in the
history of science : are we alone in the universe ? The only way to find that out is if we once more , as Cassini-Huygens once did , visit the moon and look for what may be lurking in its cold depths .
n n n Ana Catarina Avila is a Brazilian quantitative biologist . She lives in Montreal , Canada , and is currently working on a PhD in Quantitative Life Sciences at McGill University . Her research focuses on statistical ecology , but Ana has been involved in astronomy outreach and is an amateur astronomer . She has been a member of the Louis Cruls Astronomy Club since junior high , which sparked her passion for scientific research .
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