Scientists Discover Fog On the Formation of Titan

California - Titan, the planet Saturn's largest moon, has been known as the only astronomical object in our Solar System that contains a liquid on its surface in large numbers other than Earth, but recently scientists have discovered the existence of fog there.

Scientists from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the University of California, Berkeley, led by Dr. Mike Brown, analyzing data from a device carried by the Cassini Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS), which then perform the imaging process called "hyperspectral" on Titan, which cover a large area of ​​both visible and infrared spectrum.

They found that Titan's south pole has a lot of puddles of liquid methane, which resulted in the formation of a layer of fog.

The existence of fog showed hydrological cycle, which is known only on Earth alone.

"The fog-or cloud, dew, or commonly known as condensation-can form when the air humidity reaches about 100%," said Brown in a press release.

"There are two ways to achieve it. The first is obvious: add the water (on Earth) or methane (the Titan) into the air that surrounds it. While the latter is more general: Create a cool air so it can withstand a little water (or liquid methane) , and all that is needed for condensation occurs. "

The formation of fog in a way that both occur in Titan's impossible because it takes a long time to change the temperature of Titan's surface temperature. "Even if for example you put out the sun, the atmosphere of Titan still take 100 years to cool down," explained Brown. "Even the coldest part of the surface (Titan) is still too warm to make the fog to condense."

"Mountains on Titan must have a height of about 15,000 feet (4572 meters) before the air becomes cold enough to condense," Brown said, but because the surface crust of Titan which consists of ice and easily broken, then no mountains higher than 3,000 feet ( 914 meters).

"With the haze on Titan, proving that for the first time in months that have an active hydrological cycle of methane," said Brown.