Iapetus: The Lollipop Moon

Saturn’s Moon Iapetus has a unique feature which was, until recently, a complete mystery.

Running along its equator is this weird ridge of mountains. The mountains run exactly along the equator, are perfectly straight, and---so far---haven’t shown up like this on any other planet or moon. They’re also the only such mountains anywhere on Iapetus’ surface (reaching as high as 63,000 feet tall). (Giving this strange moon the propensity for ice avalanches!) Pretty weird!

To learn more about this peculiar feature, see: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/iapetus-the-lollipop-moon/

Image Credit: NASA/JPL

A Ring System of our Own:

When the moon was formed after a collision between Earth and another a celestial body, it should have left lot of debris around Earth. The debris within the Roche"s limit *should* have formed rings around Earth.

In truth, it"s quite likely that Earth *did* have a ring (or a system of rings) sometime in the VERY distant past; however, any such rings would have only been possible for a short period of time after the collision between Earth and Theia (the hypothetical planet that struck Earth to form our moon). Unlike the rings that belong to Saturn, Earth"s rings would have dissipated pretty quickly.

Find out why, and learn what our planet would be like with rings at:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/if-earth-had-rings/

Image source:
NASA

The Mysteries of Saturn

The quest for knowledge is just that: a quest. Sometimes this quest will take us to amazing and fantastical places—to the mountains of Mars, the insides of an atom, or a massive planet orbiting a distant star. Other times, this pursuit takes us to places that are strange and confusing, like a bit of foreskin surrounding Saturn.

Wait, what?

To learn about this odd theory, see:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/the-mysteries-of-saturn/

Image:
NASA

Iapetus: The Lollipop Moon

Saturn’s Moon Iapetus has a unique feature which was, until recently, a complete mystery.

Running along its equator is this weird ridge of mountains. The mountains run exactly along the equator, are perfectly straight, and---so far---haven’t shown up like this on any other planet or moon. They’re also the only such mountains anywhere on Iapetus’ surface (reaching as high as 63,000 feet tall). (Giving this strange moon the propensity for ice avalanches!) Pretty weird!

To learn more about this peculiar feature, see: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/iapetus-the-lollipop-moon/

Living in Space: What would it be like to spend a Day on Titan?

Today, I want to talk to you about what it would be like to spend a day on Titan (one of Saturn’s moons).

I hardly need to try and convince you that Titan is worth visiting; the facts make a more persuasive argument than I ever could. Titan is the largest of the 53 moons that orbit Saturn; in fact, it is the second largest moon in our solar system (only Jupiter’s Ganymede surpasses it). This means that Titan is much bigger than our own Moon, and even the planet Mercury. But, despite being one of the most sizable moons in our solar system, Titan has a rather weak gravitational pull (a person who weighs 100 pounds on Earth will only weigh 12 pounds on Titan. ie. Titan is a great place for jumping and, thus, basketball).

But I’m afraid that this interesting moon is rather inhospitable. Titan"s average surface temperature is a chilly -289 degrees Fahrenheit (-178 degrees Celsius), which is a little cold even for the hardiest Earthlings. Yet, you shouldn’t let the temperature keep you from visiting this magnificent rock, because Titan is the only moon in the solar system known to have clouds and a thick planet-like atmosphere. And I mean “thick.” Titan"s atmospheric pressure is about 60 percent greater than the Earth"s, so walking on Titan will be roughly the same as walking on the bottom of a swimming pool.

Want to know what the rest of your day would be like? Find out at:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/what-would-it-be-like-to-spend-a-day-on-titan/

Image source:
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?Category=Planets&IM_ID=11965

Searching for Life Beyond Earth: Could Life Exist on Enceladus?

In order to ask a question such as this, and ultimately answer it, one needs to first understand what life is, and then analyze the degree to which a celestial body is capable of sustaining this life. And what are the requirements for life as we know it? In the most basic sense: water, an atmosphere, and a source of energy. The interesting bit here is that Enceladus only fits into two of these categories (it has water and an atmosphere). However, this does not necessarily mean that life cannot survive. After all, the lifeforms that exist in the deepest parts of our ocean are a prime example of living beings thriving in unexpected places. And it seems that similar oceans flow under the icy covering of Enceladus.

Enceladus is one of Saturn’s small moons (it’s about the size of Wyoming). Interestingly, it is also one of the brightest objects in our Solar System. This is a world that has a temperature of -201 degrees Celsius (-329 Fahrenheit). Meaning, the moon is completely frozen over. Could life exist on this frozen moon? Apparently, the answer is yes (of course, scientists don’t expect this life to be a species of gigantic super aliens that want to enslave humanity…just bacteria).

Just how likely is life on this distant world? Find out at: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/searching-for-life-beyond-earth-could-life-exist-on-enceladus/

Image source: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap060608.html

Get to Know Titan: 6 Interesting Things to Know About Saturn"s Largest - and Most Awesome - Moon

If one requires proof as to why Saturn is the most awesome planet in our solar system, we need not look any further than Saturn"s largest (and its inarguably most interesting) moon, Titan. (Pictured to the right in a frame with Saturn and its famous series of rings) Despite being a satellite of a large, gaseous planet, Titan is actually the most Earth-like world in our local neighborhood. Equipped with an appreciable atmosphere (mostly made up of nitrogen), vigorous mountains and valleys and free standing bodies of liquid substances; Titan presents us with so many interesting questions and can likely help give us answers to some of our other lingering questions. That is, if we can ever find the funding to explore it properly. (Something we"ll talk about in more detail here in a moment)

With that said, there are so many things about Titan to be excited about, but here, we have compiled the best-of-the-best facts about the Saturnian moon.

To read the full article, see: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/get-to-know-titan-6-interesting-things-to-know-about-saturns-largest-and-most-awesome-moon/

Saturn: The Jewel of the Solar System

Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun, but in many ways it is a planet of seconds:

It is the second largest planet
It is the planet with the second strongest magnetic field
It has the second largest moon (Titan)
It has the second fastest rotation (10h 30min)

But Saturn still is, and probably always will be, number one.

For obvious reasons, Saturn is frequently referred to as “The Jewel of the Solar System.” Although all of the gas giants in our solar system have ring systems, Saturn’s ornaments are, by far, the most awe-inspiring. There are billions of particles that comprise Saturn’s rings; these particles range from dust-sized grains to minor giants (some of which have a diameter of some 1.8 kilometers/1.1 miles). And with a thickness of about 1 km (3,200 feet), the rings span roughly 282,000 km (175,000 miles), which is about three fourths the distance between the Earth and Moon. Moreover, these rings are the only ones that can be seen from the Earth with nothing more than a small telescope. The planet itself is the farthest planet from Earth that can be observed by the unaided human eye.

To learn more about this amazing planet, see: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/saturn-the-jewel-of-the-solar-system/

Image source: NASA /JPL-Caltech/SSI

New Look at Titan"s Land of Lakes

Titan - the Saturnian moon - is never lacking in awesomeness (something we have reiterated time and time again). This newly-released image only scratches the surface of the moon"s awesomeness. As you can see, NASA"S Cassini-Huygens probe recently took a look at the free-standing bodies of liquid that set Titan apart from the pack. Ultimately, these images of Titan"s lakes and oceans proved that this moon is the only other world in our solar system that is similar to Earth in this regard.

However, the word "similar" is rather misleading. Yes, Titan has liquid oceans, shorelines, lakes, rivers, rain and even seasons, but unlike Earth (where you can safely get a little dew on your shoe, or catch a few drops of rain in your mouth), on Titan, too much "rain" could easily wind up poisoning you (or turning you into a fire breathing dragon, provided you had some oxygen and a match). This is because Titan"s rain is made up of liquid hydrocarbons (a huge component of gasoline).

To read the full article, see: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/new-look-at-titans-land-of-lakes/

Image source:
NASA