Tag: Saturn’s Moon
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Molecules on Titan Break a Core Chemistry Rule, Shaping Our View of the Moon’s Atmosphere
New Findings Challenge a Core Chemistry Principle on Titan Scientists have long trusted the rule of thumb in chemistry known as “like dissolves like”—the idea that substances with similar polarity or intermolecular forces mix or dissolve more readily than dissimilar ones. Recent observations and modeling conducted on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, suggest that its ultra-cold…
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Titan’s Icy Seas: Water and Oil Mix Could Spark Exotic Chemistry
Introduction: A World of Icy Surprises Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, is famous for its methane rain, hydrocarbon lakes, and a surface as cold as any in the solar system. Yet beneath its alien beauty lies a chemistry that challenges our Earth-centric intuition. Recent discussions among scientists suggest that in Titan’s unique environment, water ice and…
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Enceladus Organic Clues in Plumes Boost Life-Habitability Prospects
New Organic Clues from Cassini’s Enceladus Plume Data Scientists have updated their view of Enceladus, the small, icy moon of Saturn, by finding new organic molecules in the icy grains ejected from its southern vents. The analysis draws on data from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, collected during a 2008 close flyby when the probe sampled the…