Comments on: Liquid Lake on Titan Confirmed

By: Matthew

Matthew — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 08:18:14 +0000

The methane will not ignite, as there is no oxygen for it to combine with.

We just have to see if there are waves to surf on, and do buoyancy studies. Is surfboard styrofoam less dense than liquid methane? Would it get brittle in the cold temperatures? A hard science fiction writer could figure this out.

By: Thomas

Thomas — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 02:10:25 +0000

Just don't strike a match

By: Hans Bausewein

Hans Bausewein — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 21:15:24 +0000

"20,000 square miles (7,800 square miles) in area"

20,000 square km (7,800 square miles) in area

By: RaydaSpray

RaydaSpray — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 19:49:03 +0000

Wind + sufficient fetch + proper sea or lake bottom topography = SURF! On Titan, you'll need a custom board and a really warm methane proof wetsuit/spacesuit and you'd be ripping up the slo-mo low gravity waves! Check the tide chart at NASA.com.
Conclusion: YES! TITAN IS SURFABLE!

By: Maugrim

Maugrim — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:55:25 +0000

…approximately 300 degrees Fahrenheit below zero…

*moan* Celsius conversions for us non-Americans please. (To help you out, that's about -185 C.)

By: Dark Gnat

Dark Gnat — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:55:27 +0000

No, you would freeze to death in seconds.

By: Peter K

Peter K — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:41:18 +0000

Does the fact that there is only one lake in the picture suggest a vast network of rivers and thus a deeper lake?
Or are we talking Lake Eyre in Australia…a shallow, ephemeral pan of warm water?

By: Peter K

Peter K — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:35:01 +0000

Is that like, the biggest natural resource we've located in the solar system?
And outings to the beach will never be the same!
Would we float in frozen, liquid methane?
Would it have waves and sunsets?
Could you surf it?
Is frozen carbon dioxide icecream sold in 31 flavors?

let's get on the specifics, science guys!

By: Ralph Rewes

Ralph Rewes — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:15:00 +0000

And BTW, this "picture" is an "artist concept" no need for such a tiny dark picture don't you think? At least people should have options like small median and large sizes.

By: Ralph Rewes

Ralph Rewes — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:11:16 +0000

Another small dark picture. Why don't you, Nancy, get a larger or enhanced picture for your articles? Sometimes, sometimes NASA has those for the public.

If you want an enhanced copy of this, ask me at

rrs131313@yahoo.com

By: Laszlo Borbely

Laszlo Borbely — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 12:51:26 +0000

Don't dive in yet, the lake may only be a centimeter deep!

By: Essel

Essel — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:34:52 +0000

"The fact we could detect the ethane spectral signatures of the lake even when it was so dimly illuminated, and at a slanted viewing path through Titan's atmosphere, raises expectations for exciting future lake discoveries by our instrument."

The above means that for one of the dark patches suspected to be a lake from visual clues earlier, nicknamed ontario lacus, the spectral signatures obtained confirmed ethane. Further it was a difficult job as the viewing angle had to be too obtuse to obtain reflection from the surface to prove that it was liquid and complicated due to the fact that the current level of illumination on Titan's south polar region is low and its atmospheric haze is too demanding.

Great Job indeed! but are we 100% sure it is a lake till we take a plunge?

By: Vagueofgodalming

Vagueofgodalming — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 09:57:25 +0000

Good reporting – some of my feeds have headlines like 'newly discovered lake' – no, it was discovered and thought to be a lake some time ago, and this is confirmation. Well done.

By: kvenlander

kvenlander — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 08:18:00 +0000

Tell Cheney there's hydrocarbons up them thar hills! Solve the space program funding problem!