August 4, 2009

Plains of Titan to be Named for “Dune” Novels

Written by Nancy Atkinson

Titan’s mysterious dark plains will be named after planets in the series of “Dune” science fiction novels by author Frank Herbert. The US Geological Survey Astrogeology Science Center announced the first plain or “planitia” given a name will be designated as Chusuk Planitia.

Chusuk was a planet from the Dune series, known for its musical instruments. Chusuk Planitia on Titan is located at 5.0S, 23.5W, and in the picture here is the small, dark area next to the “C” of Chusuk.

Full article, images, and a map here:

http://www.universetoday.com/2009/08/04/plains-of-titan-to-be-named-for-dune-novels/

August 6, 2009

Titan Shaping Up to Look a Lot Like Pre-Life Earth

Written by Anne Minard

It’s more than a billion kilometers (759 million miles) away, but the more astronomers learn about Titan, the more it looks like Earth.

That’s the theme of two talks happening this week at the International Astronomical Union meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Two NASA researchers, Rosaly Lopes and Robert M. Nelson of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, are reporting that weather and geology have very similar actions on Earth and Titan — even though Saturn’s moon is, on average, 100 degrees C (212 degrees F) colder than Antarctica (and certainly much more frigid than either California or Brazil; lucky astronomers).

The researchers are also reporting a tantalizing clue in the search for life: Titan hosts chemistry much like pre-biotic conditions on Earth.

Full article here:

http://www.universetoday.com/2009/08/06/titan-shaping-up-to-look-a-lot-like-pre-life-earth/