TITAN (SATURN MOON)

Everything you could want to know about Saturn's biggest moon, Titan. In this video we go through Titan's lakes, its volcanoes, atmosphere, and everything else that makes Titan so special. Please note that this is a reupload, as the original was taken down through a DMCA, but a lot of people have requested for me to upload it again. I've gone through all the footage and switched out anything that might have a hint of copyright problems so hopefully this will stay up this time. SUBSCRIBE for more videos about our other planets. Subscribe! http://goo.gl/WX4iMN Facebook! http://goo.gl/uaOlWW Twitter! http://goo.gl/VCfejs Donate! Patreon: http://goo.gl/GGA5xT Ethereum Wallet: 0x5F8cf793962ae8Df4Cba017E7A6159a104744038 Become a Patron today and support my channel! Donate link above. I can't do it without you. Thanks to those who have supported so far! Image credits: NASA/ESA/MIT/Space Engine/Universe Simulator Music credits: Anima - Soaring Together Anima - You Are Truth Jingle Punks - The Story Unfolds #cassini #astrum #titan

On October 26, 2004, NASA's Cassini spacecraft took the first close-up images of Saturn's largest moon Titan. The Cassini spacecraft would later drop off a probe on Titan named Huygens, which was a European spacecraft that hitched a ride to the Saturn system with the Cassini mission. But before Cassini dropped off its robotic passenger, it flew by Titan a few times and took some amazing photos. Cassini completed its first flyby on July 3, 2004, but when it swung by a second time on October 26, it got about 300 times closer than it did the first time. At the closest point of this flyby, Cassini was 745 miles away from the surface of Titan. The spacecraft took hundreds of photos during this flyby, and these were the highest resolution views of Titan anyone had ever seen.

According to a report by Geek.com, a new study suggests that Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, may have the potential to produce life as we know it. A team of researchers using data from the Cassini spacecraft examined the icy moon looking for biological molecules. Leader of the study Catherine Neish, found that when exposed to liquid water, organic molecules like the ones on Titan are capable of producing a range of biomolecules, including amino acids. Neish and her team reportedly focused their attention on craters, particularly Sinlap, Selk, and Menrva. The team wrote, “We determine that the best sites to identify biological molecules are deposits of impact melt on the floors of large, fresh impact craters." https://www.geek.com/news/psst-alien-hunters-check-inside-craters-on-saturns-moon-titan-1746989/?source http://www.wochit.com This video was produced by YT Wochit News using http://wochit.com

Dragonfly is a proposed mission concept to send a rotorcraft-lander to Saturn’s large, exotic moon, Titan. Designed to sample surface materials and determine composition in different settings, this revolutionary mission concept offers the capability to explore diverse locations and characterize the habitability of Titan’s environment, investigate the progression of prebiotic chemistry, and even to search for chemical hints of water-based or hydrocarbon-based life. The Dragonfly dual-quadcopter would fly to dozens of sites, tens to hundreds of miles apart. Titan’s dense, calm atmosphere and low gravity make flying ideal; the rotorcraft could travel from its initial landing site to explore areas several hundred miles away, though Dragonfly would spend most of its mission making science measurements on the ground. Led by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Dragonfly is a finalist to become the next mission in NASA’s New Frontiers planetary science program. Key partners include Penn State University, NASA (Goddard Space Flight Center, Ames Research Center, Langley Research Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory), Honeybee Robotics and Malin Space Science Systems. New Frontiers is managed by the Planetary Missions Program Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the agency’s Planetary Science Division in Washington. Learn more about Dragonfly at http://dragonfly.jhuapl.edu

NASA is going to decide between a comet sample return mission or a helicopter on Titan. Which mission should it be? See Tim's video here: https://youtu.be/JkS2dP7eiEU Then vote! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCogrSQkBJn1KF0N9I4oM7eQ/community?lb=UgzkKXIhEDAV-WxBS2R4AaABCQ Subscribe to Tim's Channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6uKrU_WqJ1R2HMTY3LIx5Q Sign up to my weekly email newsletter: https://www.universetoday.com/newsletter Support us at: http://www.patreon.com/universetoday More stories at: http://www.universetoday.com/ Follow us on Twitter: @universetoday Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/universetoday Google+ - https://plus.google.com/+universetoday/ Instagram - http://instagram.com/universetoday Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / [email protected] Karla Thompson - @karlaii / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEItkORQYd4Wf0TpgYI_1fw Chad Weber - [email protected] Chloe Cain - Instagram: @chloegwen2001 References: https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-invests-in-concept-development-for-missions-to-comet-saturn-moon-titan http://www.planetary.org/multimedia/space-images/spacecraft/caesar-sample-return.html http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Rosetta/History_of_cometary_missions http://sci.esa.int/rosetta/ http://sci.esa.int/rosetta/58220-philae-found/ https://www.asteroidmission.org/ https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mer/070628/squyres.html

VOTE HERE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCogrSQkBJn1KF0N9I4oM7eQ/community?lb=UgzkKXIhEDAV-WxBS2R4AaABCQ Fraser Cain's YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCogrSQkBJn1KF0N9I4oM7eQ Fraser's video about CAESAR - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtVKAQMNjY4 NASA’s considering sending a nuclear powered flying robotic laser guided quadcopter drone to a world with oceans, rain and maybe one of the best views in our solar system. That’s right, this is one of two potential missions that NASA has narrowed down for their final mission in their New Frontiers Program. Today I’m going to tell you all about ONE of those two missions as I go head to head against the publisher of Universe Today, Fraser Cain in a battle for the best potential mission. After you’ve heard from both of us, you get to vote on which one you think should win, which almost certainly will forever shape the history of space exploration. Either that or NASA won’t care at all what we think... hmmm… Show your support and join our discord channel and subreddit by becoming Patron - http://patreon.com/everydayastronaut Music by Everyday Astronaut - http://soundcloud.com/everydayastronaut Everyday Astronaut hats, prints, shirts and more at - https://everydayastronaut.com/shop/ SpaceX models by Oli Braun http://twitter.com/oli_braun and his store - https://www.buzzspacemodels.com/

Looking for a new home beyond Earth? Icy moons could be a hot contender. Waves Can Tell Us A Lot About Climate Change, But You Have To Catch Them First https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toeoYNQNZgA Subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzWQYUVCpZqtN93H8RR44Qw Read More: Future Space Colony? Maybe We Should Look Beyond Mars to Saturn's Titan Moon https://www.seeker.com/space/exploration/future-space-colony-maybe-we-should-look-beyond-mars-to-saturns-titan-moon “NASA and Elon Musk’s SpaceX are focused on getting astronauts to Mars and even one day establishing a colony on the Red Planet — but what if their attention is better directed elsewhere? “ What It Would Be Like to Live on Saturn's Moons Titan and Enceladus https://www.space.com/28786-living-on-saturn-moons-titan-enceladus.html “Without a solid surface, Saturn isn't likely a place we could ever live. But the gas giant does have numerous moons, some of which would make fascinating locations for space colonies, particularly Titan and Enceladus.” Plumes From Saturn’s Moon Enceladus Hint That It Could Support Life https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/13/science/saturn-cassini-moon-enceladus.html?mtrref=undefined “Could icy moons like Saturn’s Enceladus in the outer solar system be home to microbes or other forms of alien life? Intriguing new findings from data collected by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft suggest the possibility.” Check Out Focal Point on Facebook! - https://www.facebook.com/FocalPointShow/ Sign Up For The Seeker Newsletter Here - http://bit.ly/1UO1PxI ____________________ Seeker inspires us to see the world through the lens of science and evokes a sense of curiosity, optimism and adventure. Visit the Seeker website https://www.seeker.com/ Subscribe now! https://www.youtube.com/user/DNewsChannel Seeker on Twitter http://twitter.com/seeker Seeker on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SeekerMedia/ Seeker http://www.seeker.com/

Planetary scientist Dr. Ralph Lorenz of the Applied Physics Lab at Johns Hopkins University discusses the saturnian moon Titan and results of the Cassini mission’s exploration of Titan. Lorenz outlines the uniqueness of Titan’s geochemistry and surface morphology, but also points out its similarities with Earth. This was the fourth presentation in the Lunar and Planetary Institute’s 2017–2018 Cosmic Exploration Speaker Series, “Diving into Ocean Worlds.”

Scientists have thought for awhile that pulsars could be used as a sort of galactic positioning system, and astronomers have published the most advanced topographical map of Titan to date! ---------- Support SciShow by becoming a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/scishow ---------- Dooblydoo thanks go to the following Patreon supporters: Kelly Landrum Jones, Sam Lutfi, Kevin Knupp, Nicholas Smith, D.A. Noe, alexander wadsworth, سلط الخليفي, Piya Shedden, KatieMarie Magnone, Scott Satovsky Jr, Bella Nash, Charles Southerland, Bader AlGhamdi, James Harshaw, Patrick Merrithew, Patrick D. Ashmore, Candy, Tim Curwick, charles george, Saul, Mark Terrio-Cameron, Viraansh Bhanushali, Kevin Bealer, Philippe von Bergen, Chris Peters, Justin Lentz ---------- Like SciShow? Want to help support us, and also get things to put on your walls, cover your torso and hold your liquids? Check out our awesome products over at DFTBA Records: http://dftba.com/scishow ---------- Looking for SciShow elsewhere on the internet? Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scishow Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scishow Tumblr: http://scishow.tumblr.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/thescishow ---------- Sources: http://mediarelations.cornell.edu/2018/01/17/titan-topographic-map-unearths-cookie-cutter-holes-in-moons-surface/ http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2017GL075518/full http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2017GL075468/full https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2018/nasa-team-first-to-demonstrate-x-ray-navigation-in-space https://www.wired.com/story/nasa-just-proved-it-can-navigate-space-using-pulsars-where-to-now/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasa-test-proves-pulsars-can-function-as-a-celestial-gps/ Images: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pulsar_schematic.svghttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Millisecond_pulsar_and_accretion_disk_-_NASA_animation_(hi-res).ogv https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Crab_Lucky_video2.gif https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/golden-record/golden-record-cover/ https://www.nasa.gov/topics/universe/features/zombie-stars.html https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cosmic_Ornament.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Titan2005.jpg https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/multimedia/pia16849.html#.WmtkapM-dTZ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Titan_multi_spectral_overlay.jpg https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-08/agu-mcl081016.php https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PIA17655_crop_Titan_north_polar_seas_and_lakes.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Liquid_lakes_on_titan.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lapiaz_P1070880.JPG

Saturn’s moon Titan is known to share some key similarities with Earth, and researchers recently found another one.

An exploration of the other bodies in the solar system other than earth that might be habitable for some forms of alien life. https://www.patreon.com/johnmichaelgodier Music: Light Awash by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100175 Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Basel Singer explores the possibilities of living on Titan and what we would need to do to survive there. Subscribe to us here: https://www.youtube.com/user/yourdiscoveryscience?sub_confirmation=1 Like us at: https://www.Facebook.com/yourdiscoveryscience

The largest Moon of Saturn is the closest we've found to another Earth in the Solar System, but an Earth made of water. Phrenomythic's channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO-8Osf4S3N0m7u1NivTfeg Universe of Water playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa0TgREKn12jUoCK0N4qQVgTgGalS6KDG Universe of Water playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa0TgREKn12jUoCK0N4qQVgTgGalS6KDG Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parallaxicality/ Me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickrwebb?lang=en-gb

We continue our look at colonizing the solar system by visiting Saturn's moon Titan. Visit our sponsor, Brilliant: https://www.Brilliant.org/IsaacArthur We will examine the options for less classic colonization by exploring alternatives to manned colonization and classic terraforming. Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net Join the Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/ Support the Channel on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur Visit the sub-reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/ Listen or Download the audio of this episode from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/isaac-arthur-148927746/colonizing-titan Cover Art by Jakub Grygier: https://www.artstation.com/artist/jakub_grygier Graphics Team: Edward Nardella Jarred Eagley Justin Dixon Katie Byrne Kris Holland of Mafic Stufios: www.maficstudios.com Misho Yordanov Pierre Demet Sergio Botero: https://www.artstation.com/sboterod?fref=gc Stefan Blandin Script Editing: Andy Popescu Connor Hogan Edward Nardella Eustratius Graham Gregory Leal Jefferson Eagley Luca de Rosa Mark Warburton Michael Gusevsky Mitch Armstrong MolbOrg Naomi Kern Philip Baldock Sigmund Kopperud Tiffany Penner Music: Markus Junnikkala, "Hail the Victorious Dead" Dan McLeod, "Vacuum" AJ Prasad, "Staring Through" Aerium, "Waters of Atlantis"

Dr. Jason Barnes: https://www.uidaho.edu/sci/physics/people/faculty/jwbarnes Image of Titan from NASA JPL: https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/internal_resources/403/ Titan poster: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Titan_poster.svg Titan's terrain from NASA: https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/images/545754main_pia08427-full_full.jpg NASA - Titan's flooded canyons: https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/main_titan_flooded_canyons.gif ESA - Titan's seasons: http://www.esa.int/var/esa/storage/images/esa_multimedia/images_by_site/our_activities/space_science/titan_s_changing_seasons/12136838-1-eng-GB/Titan_s_changing_seasons.jpg Titan's mountain chains: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Simon_Kattenhorn/publication/279215721/figure/fig9/AS:[email protected]/Figure-3-This-exemplary-mountain-chain-known-as-Misty-Montes-located-in-Cassini-RADAR.png NASA's image of Enceladus: https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/17-042_main_image.jpg Huygen probe's descent - What Huygens Saw On Titan - New Image Processing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9L471ct7YDo&t=110s NASA image of Saturn's hexagonal storm in on its north pole: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6_NOM5aSVN4/maxresdefault.jpg NASA's Voyagers mission - image of Titan: https://thecuriousastronomer.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/titan1.gif NASA's image of Titan's lakes: https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/system/resources/detail_files/6106_PIA18432.jpg Image of Saturn's impressive rings: http://www.petersurrena.com/wp-content/images/collections/13/saturn-2.jpg NASA's JPL - Cassini's Grand Finale: https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/resources/7628/ A Brief History of Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5td4V4DCI_8 LIGO Catches its Third Gravitational Wave!: https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/news/ligo20170601 Hubble's image of Pluto: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eU4eUNXGjog/maxresdefault.jpg Tagesschau: VOYAGER 2 passiert den Planeten Uranus am 24.01.1986 (whatever this means...): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_RbrtGH1N0 LIGO: The First Observation of Gravitational Waves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrqbfT8qcBc NASA's image of Pluto - up close: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/06/10/00/351A594300000578-3634278-Nasa_has_released_a_new_image_from_the_New_Horizons_spacecraft_r-a-77_1465513220207.jpg Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains Einstein's Gravitational Waves Theory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoOPEPVYAnU NASA's "Top 10 Pluto Pics": https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/nh-pluto_heart.jpg.png -- Watch live at https://www.twitch.tv/skylias

Cassini’s mission to the Saturn system is coming to an end, but the space probe has uncovered chemical mysteries on the moon Titan that will keep scientists busy for years to come. ↓↓More info and references below↓↓ When the Cassini space probe launched 20 years ago, planetary scientists knew that Saturn’s moon Titan showcased some complex atmospheric chemistry. But now that Cassini has had a closer look at the moon, researchers are shocked just by just how gnarly that chemistry is. In this episode of Speaking of Chemistry, we teamed up with Eos reporter JoAnna Wendel to learn how studying Titan’s atmosphere is teaching us more about our solar system and even our home planet. Sarah Hörst is a member of Eos’s editorial advisory board. Want to continue your magical mystery tour of Titan? Check out these articles. What to Expect from Cassini's Final Views of Titan |Eos https://eos.org/articles/what-to-expect-from-cassinis-final-views-of-titan Methane lakes on Titan | C&EN http://cen.acs.org/articles/85/i2/Methane-Lakes-Titan.html Could a Newfound Molecule on Titan Be a Building Block for Life? | Eos https://eos.org/articles/could-a-newfound-molecule-on-titan-be-a-building-block-for-life The Curious Case of Titan’s Missing Clouds | Eos https://eos.org/articles/the-curious-case-of-titans-missing-clouds Huygens’s revolutionary landing on Titan | C&EN http://2015.cenmag.org/huygenss-revolutionary-titan-landing/#.WbfnCsiGPIU Cassini spacecraft to dive through water jets on Saturn’s moon | C&EN http://cen.acs.org/articles/93/web/2015/10/Cassini-Spacecraft-Dive-Through-Water.html Arrival at Saturn | C&EN http://cen.acs.org/articles/82/i27/ARRIVAL-SATURN.html Speaking of Chemistry is a production of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly news magazine of the American Chemical Society. Eos is the leading source for trustworthy news and perspectives about the Earth and space sciences and their impact. Contact us at [email protected]!

Titan is an interesting and a promising world for exotic life forms here in the video i explain a few possible scenarios in which those forms arise. Intro and outro footage made with Space Engine. Credits for some footage: Silicon based lifeform by Miykaels7 Microscopic footage: http://bioqueststudios.com.au Music: Martian Cowboys - Kevin MacLeod https://incompetech.com/ Dreksler Astral

In 2001, Saturn's ridiculously huge moon Titan passed directly in front of a binary star, occulting (as astronomers call it) both stars. Titan has an atmosphere, and as it passed through it the light from the stars got bent, appearing as a dot that whips around the moon's edge. Note the second star has two bright spots that do this, too. This phenomenon tells us a lot about the density, temperature, and pressure of Titan's atmosphere. The total elapsed time in the video is about 30 minutes. Credit: Bouchez et al: http://ao.jpl.nasa.gov/Palao/Publications/Scientific/Adaptive_optics_imaging_of_a_stellar_occultation_by_Titan.pdf I enlarged the video by a factor of two for clarity before uploading.

Saturn’s giant, hazy moon Titan has been essential to NASA’s Cassini mission during its 13 thrilling years of exploration there. Cassini and the European Huygens probe have revealed a fascinating world of lakes and seas, great swaths of dunes, and a complex atmosphere with weather – with intriguing similarities to Earth. Titan has also been an engine for the mission, providing gravity assists that propelled the spacecraft on its adventures around the ringed planet. For more about the Cassini-Huygens mission, visit https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov

Alien life potentially forming on Saturn’s Moon. Alien life has been a constant topic of debate for many centuries. Some believe we have already been visited by extraterrestrial life, and others believe that notion of aliens existing is pure fantasy. However, with our universe expanding as fast as the speed of light, there has to be something other than us out there right? Recent scientific findings suggest we may have found evidence of otherworldly life in our own solar system. Watch the video to learn more. Do you think alien life is forming on Titan? Tell us in the comments. If you enjoyed the video please hit that like button. Also, remember to subscribe for more videos just like this one. Follow Me: https://twitter.com/CatechismYT Feel Free to Donate: https://www.patreon.com/Catechism

Its been found that Saturn’s moon Titan has necessary ingredient for developing life and could be harvesting an early life. sources the verge. link--- https://www.theverge.com/2017/7/28/16053652/saturn-moon-titan-alma-telescope-vinyl-cyanide-cell-membranes Image Cassini--- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassini%E2%80%93Huygens By NRAO/AUI/NSF - http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/titanmoleculesimage.jpg, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36335909 Hydrocarbon lakes on Titan (Cassini radar image from 2006 By NASA / JPL-Caltech / USGS - http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA09102, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1711796 Titan - infrared view (November 13, 2015). By NASA/JPL/University of Arizona/University of Idaho - http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA20016.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45428006 Nucleic acids may not be the only biomolecules in the Universe capable of coding for life processes. By brian0918™ - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=404735 Multi-spectral view of Titan By NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute - NASA planetary photojournal, prepared by Alfred McEwenNASA planetary photojournal, PIA06139http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA06139.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42481 time-lapse video captures the Milky Way https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AFollowing_the_Milky_Way_over_ALMA.webm By ESO (ESO) [CC BY 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Vinyl cyanide could make viable cellular membranes in the conditions found on Saturn's moon Titan, according to new research. Learn more about this story at www.newsy.com/70951/ Find more videos like this at www.newsy.com Follow Newsy on Facebook: www.facebook.com/newsyvideos Follow Newsy on Twitter: www.twitter.com/newsyvideos

Full story on Space.com: https://www.space.com/37653-saturn-moon-titan-cell-membrane-molecules.html The chemical acrylonitrile, also known as vinyl cyanide, has been detected in the atmosphere of Titan in large abundance using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile. “Acrylonitrile molecules could come together as a sheet of material similar to a cell membrane,” according to NASA researchers. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/David Ladd Music Credits: Killer Tracks: "A Look Ahead" - Matthew St Laurent

A new analysis due to be published in the Journal of Astrobiology and Outreach suggests Saturn's moon Titan could power a population the size of the United States

Saturn’s largest moon may be able to provide enough wind, solar or tidal power to make human life there a possibility – if we can build the tech to exploit it. Read more: http://ow.ly/7ejf30drk2Z

Right now the Cassini spacecraft is flying between the rings of Saturn and the planet itself, a daring trajectory chosen to conclude a unique exploration mission. To find out what that orbit means, and to look back at some of Cassini-Huygens finest moments, we met up with key members of the science team in the UK for this edition of Space. This video is also available in the following languages: German https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXeX4xDy32U Italian https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5ptu4qs1Oc French https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dpvBbYa358 Spanish https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJPsi61AnkY Portuguese https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZq2LywHs04 Hungarian https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVvTZ9Ij02k Greek https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUQ4_Md1eZ0

The Cassini-Huygens mission has landed a probe on Titan, discovered an icy ocean on Enceladus, and is right now flying between the rings of Saturn and the planet itself. We head to the UK to find out what's new. euronews knowledge brings you a fresh mix of the world's most interesting know-hows, directly from space and sci-tech experts. Subscribe for your dose of space and sci-tech: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=euronewsknowledge Made by euronews, the most watched news channel in Europe.

The Cassini probe is getting more dangerous assignments as its mission nears its end, and the sun's surface may be simpler than we once thought. ---------- Support SciShow by becoming a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/scishow ---------- Dooblydoo thanks go to the following Patreon supporters—Kevin, Bealer, Mark Terrio-Cameron, KatieMarie Magnone, Patrick Merrithew, Charles Southerland, Fatima Iqbal, Sultan Alkhulaifi, Tim Curwick, Scott Satovsky Jr, Philippe von Bergen, Bella Nash, Bryce Daifuku, Chris Peters, Patrick D. Ashmore, Piya Shedden, Charles George ---------- Like SciShow? Want to help support us, and also get things to put on your walls, cover your torso and hold your liquids? Check out our awesome products over at DFTBA Records: http://dftba.com/scishow ---------- Looking for SciShow elsewhere on the internet? Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scishow Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scishow Tumblr: http://scishow.tumblr.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/thescishow ---------- Sources: Cassini: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2017-126 https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/grand-finale/overview/ https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/cassini/indepth http://articles.latimes.com/2004/jun/29/science/sci-cassini29 http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Cassini-Huygens/Cassini-Huygens_Frequently_Asked_Questions_FAQs https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2017-117 http://www.space.com/3611-bizarre-hexagon-spotted-saturn.html http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2008/1392.html http://www.space.com/16571-saturn-rings-cassini-photos.html https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/science/enceladus/ https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/science/titan/ Solar Eruptions: https://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v544/n7651/full/nature22050.html http://www.space.com/36615-big-sun-storms-little-burps-same-trigger.html https://phys.org/news/2017-04-sun-eruptions-trigger.html https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-11/aps-sut110310.php https://arxiv.org/abs/1607.02108 https://arxiv.org/abs/1307.0166?context=astro-ph http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/phenomena/coronal-mass-ejections https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/spaceweather/index.html Images: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cassini_Saturn_Orbit_Insertion.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:8423_20181_1saturn2016.jpg https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110227.html https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_1243.html https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details.php?id=PIA17655 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PIA18274-Saturn-NorthPolarHexagon-Cassini-20140402.jpg https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/resources/7642/ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Plasma_magnet_saturn.jpg https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLTiv_XWHnOZpKPaDTVy36z0U8GxoiIkZa&v=xrGAQCq9BMU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LBLCgCYy0I https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cassini-huygens_anim.gif https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2017-126 https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/what-is-a-coronal-mass-ejection https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/stereo/news/Solar-Jets.html https://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/sdo_cycle.html https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/sdo/potw603-brief-outburst/index.html https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/stereo/news/Solar%20Jets.html https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/news/coronal-cavities.html

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft’s ’Grand Finale’ has begun with the first of 22 planned dives between the Saturn's innermost rings and the planet itself. The probe came within about 1900 miles (3000 km) of the planet's cloudtops and captured some amazing images. -- Full Story: https://goo.gl/QY3WwR Credit: Space.com / images and animation: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute / Edited by @SteveSpaleta http://www.twitter.com/stevespaleta

Dive between Saturn and its rings with NASA's Cassini spacecraft in the final chapter of its mission. In this 360-degree visualization, you are traveling along with the spacecraft at tens of thousands of miles per hour as it makes one of 22 planned dives through this unexplored gap. The first dive of Cassini's Grand Finale takes place on April 26, 2017, with additional dives about once a week. Watch the full story of the Grand Finale at https://youtu.be/xrGAQCq9BMU. More information about the finale is available at https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/grandfinale. Note: Not all browsers support viewing 360 videos. YouTube supports playback of 360-degree videos on computers using Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Opera browsers. Use the YouTube app to view it on a smart phone.

Europa is fine and all, but where we really need to go is Saturn's moon Titan. Let's look at some cool ideas for probes to fully explore this world. Support us at: http://www.patreon.com/universetoday More stories at: http://www.universetoday.com/ Follow us on Twitter: @universetoday Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/universetoday Google+ - https://plus.google.com/+universetoday/ Instagram - http://instagram.com/universetoday Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / [email protected] Karla Thompson - @karlaii Chad Weber - [email protected] As you probably know, NASA recently announced plans to send a mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa. If all goes well, the Europa Clipper will blast off for the world in the 2020s, and orbit the icy moon to discover all its secrets. And that’s great and all, I like Europa just fine. But you know where I’d really like us to go next? Titan. Titan, as you probably know, is the largest moon orbiting Saturn. In fact, it’s the second largest moon in the Solar System after Jupiter’s Ganymede. It measures 5,190 kilometers across, almost half the diameter of the Earth. This place is big. It orbits Saturn every 15 hours and 22 days, and like many large moons in the Solar System, it’s tidally locked to its planet, always showing Saturn one side. Before NASA’s Voyager spacecraft arrived in 1980, astronomers actually thought that Titan was the biggest moon in the Solar System. But Voyager showed that it actually has a thick atmosphere, that extends well into space, making the true size of the moon hard to judge. This atmosphere is one of the most interesting features of Titan. In fact, it’s the only moon in the entire Solar System with a significant atmosphere. If you could stand on the surface, you would experience about 1.45 times the atmospheric pressure on Earth. In other words, you wouldn’t need a pressure suit to wander around the surface of Titan. You would, however, need a coat. Titan is incredibly cold, with an average temperature of almost -180 Celsius. For you Fahrenheit people that’s -292 F. The coldest ground temperature ever measured on Earth is almost -90 C, so way way colder. You would also need some way to breathe, since Titan’s atmosphere is almost entirely nitrogen, with trace amounts of methane and hydrogen. It’s thick and poisonous, but not murderous, like Venus. Titan has only been explored a couple of times, and we’ve actually only landed on it once. The first spacecraft to visit Titan was NASA’s Pioneer 11, which flew past Saturn and its moons in 1979. This flyby was followed by NASA’s Voyager 1 in 1980 and then Voyager 2 in 1981. Voyager 1 was given a special trajectory that would take it as close as possible to Titan to give us a close up view of the world. Voyager was able to measure its atmosphere, and helped scientists calculate Titan’s size and mass. It also got a hint of darker regions which would later turn out to be oceans of liquid hydrocarbons. The true age of Titan exploration began with NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, which arrived at Saturn on July 4, 2004. Cassini made its first flyby of Titan on October 26, 2004, getting to within 1,200 kilometers or 750 miles of the planet. But this was just the beginning. By the end of its mission later this year, Cassini will have made 125 flybys of Titan, mapping the world in incredible detail. Cassini saw that Titan actually has a very complicated hydrological system, but instead of liquid water, it has weather of hydrocarbons. The skies are dotted with methane clouds, which can rain and fill oceans of nearly pure methane. And we know all about this because of Cassini’s Huygen’s lander, which detached from the spacecraft and landed on the surface of Titan on January 14, 2005. Here’s an amazing timelapse that shows the view from Huygens as it passed down through the atmosphere of Titan, and landed on its surface. Huygens landed on a flat plain, surrounded by “rocks”, frozen globules of water ice. This was lucky, but the probe was also built to float if it happened to land on liquid instead. It lasted for about 90 minutes on the surface of Titan, sending data back to Earth before it went dark, wrapping up the most distant landing humanity has ever accomplished in the Solar System. Although we know quite a bit about Titan, there are still so many mysteries. The first big one is the cycle of liquid. Across Titan there are these vast oceans of liquid methane, which evaporate to create methane clouds. These rain, creating mists and even rivers. Is it volcanic? There are regions of Titan that definitely look like there have been volcanoes recently. Maybe they’re cryovolcanoes, where the tidal interactions with Saturn cause water to well up from beneath crust and erupt onto the surface.

Documentary following the Cassini mission with special emphasis on the Huygens Lander, the most distant space craft landing to date. Feature John Zarnecki and Patrick Moor

Cryovolcanoes are a lot like volcanoes here on Earth, except they erupt with ice and – so far – only found on frozen worlds. Why This Mysterious Dwarf Planet Is Baffling Scientists - https://youtu.be/XdZ9uvRmDHM Sign Up For The Seeker Newsletter Here - http://bit.ly/1UO1PxI Read More: The Curious Case of Ceres' Vanishing Ice Volcanoes http://www.seeker.com/dwarf-planet-ceres-mountain-nasa-dawn-water-ice-planets-2234110966.html "NASA's Dawn spacecraft is currently orbiting Ceres, the solar system's innermost dwarf planet. Many weird and wonderful things have been discovered, but some of these findings have created new and perplexing mysteries. One such mystery is centered around Ceres' ice volcanoes - or lack thereof. Ice volcanoes, or cryovolcanoes, are features that are thought to be common on the surfaces of cold bodies in the outer solar system, creating ice analogs of the volcanoes we have on Earth." Lonely Ice Volcano On Ceres May Have Once Had Company http://www.space.com/35571-ceres-ice-volcano-ahuna-mons.html "Ahuna Mons could simply be a one-of-a-kind feature. But new research by Sori and his colleagues suggests another possible answer: Ahuna Mons may have once had company, older cryovolcanoes that flattened out and disappeared over the eons via a process called 'viscous relaxation.' Viscous relaxation means that many solids on a planetary surface will flow, given enough time. Earth's mountains don't relax in an appreciable way, because they're made of rock. But Ahuna Mons has a lot of water ice mixed in and is therefore a relaxation candidate, Sori said." Where is the Ice on Ceres? New NASA Dawn Findings https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/where-is-the-ice-on-ceres-new-nasa-dawn-findings "At first glance, Ceres, the largest body in the main asteroid belt, may not look icy. Images from NASA's Dawn spacecraft have revealed a dark, heavily cratered world whose brightest area is made of highly reflective salts -- not ice. But newly published studies from Dawn scientists show two distinct lines of evidence for ice at or near the surface of the dwarf planet." ____________________ DNews is dedicated to satisfying your curiosity and to bringing you mind-bending stories & perspectives you won't find anywhere else! New videos daily. Watch More DNews on Seeker http://www.seeker.com/show/dnews/ Subscribe now! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=dnewschannel Seeker on Twitter http://twitter.com/seeker Trace Dominguez on Twitter https://twitter.com/tracedominguez DNews on Facebook https://facebook.com/DiscoveryNews DNews on Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/+dnews Seeker http://www.seeker.com/ Sign Up For The Seeker Newsletter Here: http://bit.ly/1UO1PxI Special thanks to Ian O'Neill for hosting and writing this episode of DNews! Check Ian out on Twitter: https://twitter.com/astroengine

The Huygens probe, supplied by the European Space Agency (ESA) and named after the 17th century Dutch astronomer who first discovered Titan, Christiaan Huygens, scrutinized the clouds, atmosphere, and surface of Saturn's moon Titan in its descent on January 15, 2005. It was designed to enter and brake in Titan's atmosphere and parachute a fully instrumented robotic laboratory down to the surface. The probe system consisted of the probe itself which descended to Titan, and the probe support equipment (PSE) which remained attached to the orbiting spacecraft. The PSE includes electronics that track the probe, recover the data gathered during its descent, and process and deliver the data to the orbiter that transmits it to Earth. The core control computer CPU was a redundant MIL-STD-1750A control system. The data were transmitted by a radio link between Huygens and Cassini provided by Probe Data Relay Subsystem (PDRS). As the probe's mission could not be telecommanded from Earth because of the great distance, it was automatically managed by the Command Data Management Subsystem (CDMS). The PDRS and CDMS were provided by the Italian Space Agency (ASI). Huygens communications would have been entirely lost if not for testing in flight that discovered a Doppler-related problem, requiring a change in orbital trajectories to compensate.

On Jan. 14, 2005, ESA's Huygens probe made its descent to the surface of Saturn's hazy moon, Titan. Carried to Saturn by NASA's Cassini spacecraft, Huygens made the most distant landing ever on another world, and the only landing on a body in the outer solar system. This video uses actual images taken by the probe during its two-and-a-half hour fall under its parachutes. Huygens was a signature achievement of the international Cassini-Huygens mission, which will conclude on Sept. 15, 2017, when Cassini plunges into Saturn's atmosphere. For more info, visit https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/spacecraft/huygens-probe/

Jonathan Lunine from the University of Rome discusses Titan in this short course (May 25, 2010) - Part I

Jonathan Lunine from the University of Rome discusses Titan in this short course (May 25, 2010) - Part II

This movie zooms in on Titan by a factor of a billion, centred on the Huygens probe's landing site. The scale is shown in the lower right corner. This narrated movie was created using the data collected by the Huygens Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer (DISR) on 14 January 2005, during the 2 hour 27 minute plunge through Titan's thick atmosphere to a soft sandy riverbed, as well as with data from the Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem. Credit: ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona Video: Erich Karkoschka, DISR team, University of Arizona. Narrator: Dan Kruse More information about this video can be found at http://sci.esa.int/cassini-huygens/55243-zooming-in-on-huygens-landing-site-on-titan/

On 15 October 1997, NASA's Cassini orbiter embarked on an epic, seven-year voyage to the Saturnian system. Hitching a ride was ESA's Huygens probe, destined for Saturn's largest moon, Titan. The final chapter of the interplanetary trek for Huygens began on 25 December 2004 when it deployed from the orbiter for a 22-day solo cruise toward the haze-shrouded moon. Plunging into Titan’s atmosphere, on 14 January 2005, the probe survived the hazardous 2 hour 27 minute descent to touch down safely on Titan’s frozen surface. This narrated movie, created with data collected by the Huygens Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer (DISR), depicts the view from Huygens during the last few hours of this historic journey. This new version of the movie uses updated DISR data and was released on 14 January 2015 on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Huygen's landing on Titan. Credit: ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona Video: Erich Karkoschka, DISR team, University of Arizona. Script: Chuck See, DISR team, University of Arizona. Narration: David Harrington. Music: Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 by Debbie Hu (Yelm, Washington, USA). More information about this video can be found at http://sci.esa.int/cassini-huygens/39218-huygens-descent-to-titan-surface/

Enlarge ImageWelcome back to Titan, clouds. Saturn's massive moon Titan lost its northern cloud cover from around 2010 to 2014. NASA's Cassini spacecraft has been keeping an eye out for fresh cloud activity on Titan. According to NASA, "Cassini scientists noted a decrease in clouds everywhere on Titan after a large storm in 2010, and expected clouds to return sooner, based on computer models of Titan's atmosphere." Saturn has dozens of moons, but Titan is the largest and has been one of the most fascinating subjects of the Cassini mission. https://www.cnet.com/news/clouds-saturn-moon-titan-nasa-cassini/#ftag=CAD590a51e http://www.wochit.com This video was produced by YT Wochit News using http://wochit.com

Exploring what organisms on Titan might be like

**Note** I have disabled the comments for the reason we all YouTube users know. It's a voyage of exploration like no other - to Titan, Saturn's largest moon and thought to resemble our own early Earth. For a small team of British scientists this would be the culmination of a lifetime's endeavour - the flight alone, some 2 billion miles, would take a full seven years. This is the story of the space probe they built, the sacrifices they made and their hopes for the landing. Would their ambitions survive the descent into the unknown on Titan's surface? ** I do not own nor claim copyright on this material. This is just for education purposes.

This episode continues our team up with Fraser Cain to look at Colonizing the Solar System, we move from the inner solar system to the Asteroid Belt and beyond, all the way out to the Oort Cloud. Part 1: The Inner Solar System, can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALBMdY9-SZs Article: "COULD WE TERRAFORM JUPITER?" http://www.universetoday.com/121691/could-we-terraform-jupiter/ Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net Join the Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/ Support the Channel on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur Visit the sub-reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/ Listen or Download the audio of this episode from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/isaac-arthur-148927746/colonizing-the-outer-solar-system Cover Art by Jakub Grygier: https://www.artstation.com/artist/jakub_grygier

After more than 12 years studying Saturn, its rings and moons, NASA's Cassini spacecraft has entered the final year of its epic voyage. The conclusion of the historic scientific odyssey is planned for September 2017, but not before the spacecraft completes a daring two-part endgame. Highlights of Cassini’s ambitious inquiry at Saturn and an overview of science observations in the final orbits. Cassini’s exciting challenges, and promise of the final year of the mission, ultimately flying through a region where no spacecraft has ever flown before. Speaker: Linda Spilker, Cassini Project Scientist, JPL

More space news and info at: http://www.coconutsciencelab.com - Shangri-la is a large, dark area on Titan filled with dunes. The long, linear dunes are thought to be comprised of grains derived from hydrocarbons that have settled out of Titan's atmosphere. Cassini has shown that dunes of this sort encircle most of Titan's equator. Scientists can use the dunes to learn about winds, the sands they're composed of, and highs and lows in the landscape. Please rate and comment, thanks! Image Credit: NASA JPL-Caltech, ASI, Université Paris-Diderot

NASA's Cassini spacecraft has radar vision that allows it to peer through the haze that surrounds Saturn's largest moon, Titan. This video focuses on Shangri-la, a large, dark area on Titan filled with dunes. The long, linear dunes are thought to be comprised of grains derived from hydrocarbons that have settled out of Titan's atmosphere. Cassini has shown that dunes of this sort encircle most of Titan's equator. Scientists can use the dunes to learn about winds, the sands they're composed of, and highs and lows in the landscape. The radar image was obtained by the Cassini Synthetic Aperture radar (SAR) on July 25, 2016, during the mission's 122nd targeted Titan encounter. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov and http://www.nasa.gov/cassini. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASI/Université Paris-Diderot

A NASA news release describes the presence of deep, liquid-filled canyons on Saturn’s moon Titan; the discovery was made during a May 2013 flyover by the Cassini spacecraft. The Cassini spacecraft has located a unique geological feature on Saturn’s moon Titan.  A recent NASA news release describes the structure as “deep, steep-sided canyons... that are flooded with liquid hydrocarbons.”  The article goes on to state that, “The finding represents the first direct evidence of the presence of liquid-filled channels on Titan, as well as the first observation of canyons hundreds of meters deep.”  Cassini made the observation during a May 2013 flyover which focused on the area around Titan’s sea, Ligeia Mare.  Based on the collected data, astronomers have determined that the adjacent channels are actually  canyons estimated to be less than half a mile wide and 790 to 1,870 feet deep. These channels are believed to contain liquid due to their dark coloring on radar images.  The research team also suspects that the deep cuts in the terrain were likely created by prolonged geologic activity or by faster erosion compared to other areas.  The plan going forward is to continue studying Titan’s other channels in addition to its overall landscape.

One day it will be an amazing scientific accomplishment when we colonize and bring life to a moon like Saturn's icy Enceladus. Subscribe for new videos weekly! 5. Triton Photographs and data sent back from the Voyager 2 spacecraft back in August of 1989 showed that the surface of Triton, Neptune’s largest moon, was made up of nitrogen ice and rock. The suspicion of liquid water being hidden beneath the surface was raised. Even though the moon has an atmosphere, it would be pretty much the same as if it didn’t have one because of how thin it is. The average temperature on the moon is an unbelievable -391 degrees Fahrenheit, making it the coldest body in the entirety of our solar system. 4. Mimas Also known as the “Death Star” moon and for good reason. Mimas is one of Saturn’s icy and rocky moons. Mimas might have an ocean located beneath its cold and unwelcoming -looking surface, which may possibly be better adapted for life. Close study of the Cassini footage by scientists shows that Mimas looks to rock back and forth as it went around on its orbit. This could imply activity underneath its surface. However, scientists were very wary with what they found, stating that there hadn’t been any other signs that point to geological activity. They merely stated that if an ocean was discovered, the moon could definitely be a candidate for being colonized. It’s believed that the theoretical ocean would be about 15 to 18 miles below the surface. If the rocking movement that supports this theory of an ocean proves to be false, then the movement is mostly likely because of a misshapen core due to the strong gravitational pull caused by Saturn’s rings 3. Callisto Exactly the same size as the planet Mercury, Callisto is Jupiter’s second largest moon that looks like it has a large liquid ocean hidden within its icy surface. The surface of Callisto mainly made up of craters and what are basically fields of ice. Callisto also has a relatively thin atmosphere consisting of carbon dioxide. Research that already been performed has suggested that this atmosphere is being filled up again and again by carbon dioxide that is released from below the surface because it is too thin to stay in place. Collected data implies the chance that oxygen could also be actively present inside of the atmosphere, but there would need to be further tests to confirm if this theory holds true. Callisto is positioned in a safe enough space from Jupiter that the giant planet’s radiation levels would be very mild. 2. Ganymede Ganymede happens to be Jupiter’s largest moon and like other masses, in our solar system, it could potentially prove to have water trapped underneath its surface. If you were to compare it to other ice-covered moons, Ganymede’s surface is believed to be relatively thin and should be much easier to break through. This moon also happens to be the only moon with its own gravitational field that creates its own auroras, like the ones that are produced here on earth. Their pattern in movement also leads scientists to theorize there is an ocean trapped underneath the surface. Because of Ganymede’s thin oxygen atmosphere, it is too thin to support our life but maybe enough to support terraforming. Back in 2012, the European Space Agency got the okay to go ahead and launch a mission to go and explore Ganymede and two other of Jupiter’s moons, Europa and Callisto. The operation is scheduled to launch in 2022 and reach the moon 10 years later. Out of the three moons to be explored, scientists believe that Ganymede will have the best environment to study and potentially support life, if possible. 1. The Moon The first moon that mankind would colonate would, of course, be the earth’s very own moon. It’s been described as a good “dress rehearsal” for potential colonization missions in the future because of how close it is to earth compared to all the other moons. Earlier in March of this year, there was a story that was going around that this type of operation could be carried out within the next 10 years or so. NASA astrobiologist Chris McKay is one of the individuals whose onboard with making this mission come to fruition. His opinion is that other missions to the moon have failed because of the high cost, but his team has a plan that requires little compared to previous missions. Although NASA’s current focus is to get humans to land on Mars, McKay says that that won’t come to light until they can first get to the moon and set up permanent bases there first.

According to a new study by scientists at Cornell University, life might exist beyond the bounds of water-based chemistry on Saturn' s largest moon Titan. Titan is a very cold place. Instead of water on the surface, it is filled with liquid methane and ethane. Its dense atmosphere, a yellow haze, is full of nitrogen and methane. When sunlight hits this toxic atmosphere, the reaction produces hydrogen cyanide. Prior studies indicated that on Titan's surface, HCN can react to form long chains, or polymers, one of which called polyimine. Researchers have revealed that under Titan-like cold environmental conditions, polyimine is flexible and can absorb the sun' s energy and become a possible catalyst for life.

Researchers from Cornell University say Earth and Saturn’s moon Titan may have a surprising similarity – the ability to support life.