The image above is Titan, one of the moons of Saturn. That shiny blip at the top? That would be one of Titan’s lakes reflected in the sun, the first such photograph of its kind.
From the Nasa story:
“This one image communicates so much about Titan — a thick atmosphere, surface lakes and an otherworldliness,” says Bob Pappalardo, Cassini project scientist, based at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “It’s an unsettling combination of strangeness yet similarity to Earth. This picture is one of Cassini’s iconic images.”
Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, has captivated scientists because of its many similarities to Earth. Scientists have theorized for 20 years that Titan’s cold surface hosts seas or lakes of liquid hydrocarbons, making it the only other planetary body besides Earth believed to have liquid on its surface. While data from Cassini have not indicated any vast seas, they have revealed what appeared to be large lakes near Titan’s north and south poles.
Like most pictures from space, I am just in awe looking at it, and find it completely stunning.
Amy Breen
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