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Saturn’s moon Titan has an ocean! Is it habitable? Check what researchers said

16Feb

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Saturn’s moon Titan has an ocean! Is it habitable? Check what researchers said

[ad_1] Our solar system is full of secrets that are yet to be discovered. While astronomers and space agencies are hard at work studying the universe, the findings from these missions are put under the scanner by researchers to develop possible theories and find whether there is any chance of life existing on these planets if water is present there. Now, researchers have made a disappointing finding. They have reported that Saturn's moon Titan is quite uninhabitable despite being called an ocean moon. Researchers claim that the moon does not have the right organic chemistry which is required to support life. Know why Saturn's moon Titan cannot support life.Why Saturn's moon Titan is uninhabitableAccording to astrobiological research (via Space.com), Saturn's largest moon, Titan which is...

NASA preparing nuclear-powered drone for mission to Saturn’s moon Titan

25Oct

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NASA preparing nuclear-powered drone for mission to Saturn’s moon Titan

[ad_1] Not just the Moon, but NASA has been sending missions to asteroids, other planets, and even other moons in the solar system as of late. The US space agency recently launched the Psyche mission to a metal-rich asteroid, while the collected samples from the Bennu asteroid also returned to Earth last month. It has also been working on the Artemis program, NASA's first manned lunar mission since Apollo 17. However, perhaps the most ambitious mission is the Dragonfly, the first-ever mission to the surface of another ocean world. As part of it, NASA will send a spacecraft to Titan, Jupiter's largest moon.In preparation for the ambitious journey, NASA is developing a nuclear-powered, car-sized drone that will help study the surface of Titan as well as collect samples from it. NASA Drago...

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope unveils breathtaking view of Saturn

2Jul

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NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope unveils breathtaking view of Saturn

[ad_1] The image released by NASA showcases intricate details within Saturn's mesmerising ring system, even offering glimpses of some of its moons, such as Dione, Enceladus, and Tethys. The research team plans to conduct deeper exposures, hoping to explore the planet's fainter rings, including the elusive G ring and the diffuse E ring, which remain hidden in this particular image. Saturn's rings, composed of a diverse array of rocky and icy fragments ranging in size from minuscule grains of sand to colossal mountains, have long been a source of fascination for scientists and stargazers alike. This new image from Webb provides a unique perspective on their composition and structure, shedding new light on their mysterious nature. Apart from the rings, Saturn's atmosphere also reveals ast...

The elusive ET found? Alien-friendly conditions detected on Saturn’s Moon Enceladus

16Jun

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The elusive ET found? Alien-friendly conditions detected on Saturn’s Moon Enceladus

[ad_1] Scientists studying data from the Cassini spacecraft, a probe sent by the US space agency NASA, have made an important discovery on one of Saturn's icy moons. They have found high concentrations of phosphorus, which is crucial for all living processes on Earth.This phosphorus was detected in ice crystals below the surface of Enceladus, Saturn's moon that has an ocean beneath its icy exterior. Finding phosphorus is a significant breakthrough for the possibility of alien life on this moon. Researchers had already found six other chemical elements necessary for all living things: carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulphur. The missing piece was phosphorus, and now they have found it. The Cassini spacecraft was the first to orbit Saturn and collected data during its mission from...

NASA finds key building block for life in a moon of Saturn

15Jun

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NASA finds key building block for life in a moon of Saturn

[ad_1] The long hunt for extraterrestrials just got a big boost.Scientists have discovered that phosphorus, a key building block of life, lies in the ocean beneath the icy surface of Saturn's moon Enceladus. The finding was based on a review of data collected by NASA's Cassini probe, and was published Wednesday in the prestigious journal Nature. Cassini started exploring Saturn and its rings and moons in 2004, before burning up in the gas giant's atmosphere when its mission ended in 2017."This is a stunning discovery for astrobiology," said Christopher Glein of the Southwest Research Institute, one of the paper's co-authors, adding: "We have found abundant phosphorus in plume ice samples spraying out of the subsurface ocean."Geysers on Enceladus' south pole spew icy particles through cr...

In a first, James Webb Telescope snaps huge water plume ejected by Saturn’s moon Enceladus

31May

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In a first, James Webb Telescope snaps huge water plume ejected by Saturn’s moon Enceladus

[ad_1] NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has provided us with numerous stunning images despite its short duration of service. The space telescope has delivered amazing snaps of the early universe since its launch in December 2021 and now, it has added another feather to its cap. The Webb Telescope has captured water vapour plume jetting from Enceladus, one of Saturn's 124 moons. Not only is this the first time that such a large emission has been observed over such a large distance, it also gives scientists a direct look at how this contributes to the water supply of Saturn and its rings, according to NASA.Enceladus is one of the most interesting targets in our solar system for scientific research as it has a large reservoir of salty water that is sandwiched between a rocky core and an i...

30Apr

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NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day 30 April 2023: Spectacular Saturn’s Moon Helene!

[ad_1] Saturn has 83 confirmed moons! Among these, there is a Trojan moon known as Helene which is a small and faint moon. It is known as Trojan because it shares its orbit with another moon called Dione, which is hundreds of times larger than Helene. Today, NASA has shared a colourful image of Saturn's moon Helene as Astronomy Picture of the Day on April 30. In spite of its muted tones, Saturn's moon Helene remains a mystery. In 2012, the robotic Cassini spacecraft performed a close flyby of the small moon, capturing images of unparalleled precision from a distance less than that between the Earth and its moon.While sharing the image of Helene Moon, NASA has explained, "Although conventional craters and hills appear, the above image also shows terrain that appears unusually smooth and ...

31Mar

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NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day 31 March 2023: Saturn’s moon Titan, which is bigger than Mercury

[ad_1] Titan, the biggest moon of Saturn, is the second largest moon in our solar system. It is an icy celestial body concealed by a golden hazy atmosphere. According to NASA, only Ganymede, the moon of Jupiter, is bigger than Titan. Titan is more massive than Earth's moon and exceeds the size of the planet Mercury. Moreover, Titan is the only moon in the solar system with a dense atmosphere, and it's the only world besides Earth that has standing bodies of liquid, including rivers, lakes and seas, on its surface, as per NASA.Today's NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day is a snapshot showing 6 faces of Titan. Titan has a radius of about 2575 kilometers and is nearly 50 percent wider than Earth's moon. Saturn's icy moon is about 1.2 million kilometers away from Saturn, which itself is about...

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day March 12, 2023: Saturn’s Hyperion- Moon with Odd Craters

12Mar

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NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day March 12, 2023: Saturn’s Hyperion- Moon with Odd Craters

[ad_1] Do you know how many moons Saturn has? The planet has a total of 83 moons, out of which 63 moons are confirmed and named. While, the other 20 moons are awaiting confirmation of discovery and official naming by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), according to NASA. Today's NASA astronomy picture of the day is about one of Saturn's moons named Hyperion. It is the largest of Saturn's irregular, non-spherical moons, and has odd craters.Captioning the image of the day titled 'Saturn's Hyperion: A Moon with Odd Craters,' NASA stated, What lies at the bottom of Hyperion's strange craters? To help find out, the robot Cassini spacecraft that once orbited Saturn swooped past the sponge-textured moon and took images of unprecedented detail. A six-image mosaic from the 2005 pass, fe...

5Feb

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NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day 5 February 2023: Saturn moon shining bright

[ad_1] Recently, Jupiter took the crown of the planet with the most moons in our solar system away from Saturn. Saturn used to be on top with a total of as many as 83 moons. Now, Jupiter has been crowned with a whopping 92! However, if scientists are right, then Saturn will regain the title as they have found more moons circling the planet! Among the moons of Saturn, and one of the brightest, is Enceladus. And it has been featured in the NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day today. In fact, this moon is shining bright by the light of its planet. NASA explains that a large portion of Enceladus pictured here is illuminated primarily by sunlight first reflected from the planet Saturn. Resultantly, it shows the normally snow-white moon appearing in the gold colour of Saturn's cloud tops. ...