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Mini Nile River on Saturn Moon


Waspie_Dwarf

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Cassini Spots Mini Nile River on Saturn Moon

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This image from NASA's Cassini spacecraft shows a vast river system on Saturn's moon Titan. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASI › Full image and caption

PASADENA, Calif. - Scientists with NASA's Cassini mission have spotted what appears to be a miniature, extraterrestrial likeness of Earth's Nile River: a river valley on Saturn's moon Titan that stretches more than 200 miles (400 kilometers) from its "headwaters" to a large sea. It is the first time images have revealed a river system this vast and in such high resolution anywhere other than Earth.

Scientists deduce that the river, which is in Titan's north polar region, is filled with liquid hydrocarbons because it appears dark along its entire length in the high-resolution radar image, indicating a smooth surface.

"Though there are some short, local meanders, the relative straightness of the river valley suggests it follows the trace of at least one fault, similar to other large rivers running into the southern margin of this same Titan sea," said Jani Radebaugh, a Cassini radar team associate at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah. "Such faults - fractures in Titan's bedrock -- may not imply plate tectonics, like on Earth, but still lead to the opening of basins and perhaps to the formation of the giant seas themselves."

The new image is available online at: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/multimedia/pia16197.html .

Titan is the only other world we know of that has stable liquid on its surface. While Earth's hydrologic cycle relies on water, Titan's equivalent cycle involves hydrocarbons such as ethane and methane. In Titan's equatorial regions, images from Cassini's visible-light cameras in late 2010 revealed regions that darkened due to recent rainfall. Cassini's visual and infrared mapping spectrometer confirmed liquid ethane at a lake in Titan's southern hemisphere known as Ontario Lacus in 2008.

"Titan is the only place we've found besides Earth that has a liquid in continuous movement on its surface," said Steve Wall, the radar deputy team lead, based at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. "This picture gives us a snapshot of a world in motion. Rain falls, and rivers move that rain to lakes and seas, where evaporation starts the cycle all over again. On Earth, the liquid is water; on Titan, it's methane; but on both it affects most everything that happens."

The radar image here was taken on Sept. 26, 2012. It shows Titan's north polar region, where the river valley flows into Ligeia Mare, a sea that is, in terms of size, between the Caspian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea on Earth. The real Nile River stretches about 4,100 miles (6,700 kilometers). The processes that led to the formation of Earth's Nile are complex, but involve faulting in some regions.

The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and ASI, the Italian Space Agency. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The Cassini orbiter was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The radar instrument was built by JPL and the Italian Space Agency, working with team members from the US and several European countries. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

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Look for a basket with a baby boy in it,maybe he's called Moses too

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Im so glad that we live in this period of human history where we can explore new worlds. We thought Earth as only land.

First Aristarchus discovered that Heliocentrism but not until Copernicus, we all start to realizing it. Then near end of WW I Harlow Shapley discovered that we are in suburb of milky way galaxy. To Einstein and Newton space was static, stars didnt move,galaxies were not discover. Hubble discovered Andromeda galaxy. Then we realized that there are 100 billion other galaxies and each contains 100 billion stars. As Sagan said: „Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people. „

You have to wonder what kind of life is waiting for us to be found.

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I do too. We really have no idea, I have a feeling there is life in a few random places of our solar system that we just can't hypothosize or predict until we actually SEE it.

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I do too. We really have no idea, I have a feeling there is life in a few random places of our solar system that we just can't hypothosize or predict until we actually SEE it.

True. And Titan might be one of those places in our solar system.

That was funny, the L, I do believe they have found "US".

Based on?

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True. And Titan might be one of those places in our solar system.

As you put it, "based on?"

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As you put it, "based on?"

I watched documentary on NationalGeographic TV once where it say so. :D

Also I have once alternative view.That Titan as earth is alive. Yes, you read me right. That moon it self is alive. :D

Edited by the L
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Also I have once alternative view.That Titan as earth is alive. Yes, you read me right. That moon it self is alive. :D

Yep that's alternative all right. Not scientific, not logical, not based on any evidence, but certainly alternative.

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Yep that's alternative all right. Not scientific, not logical, not based on any evidence, but certainly alternative.

Do you know concept of Gaia theory?

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In title said Cassini but in article it said Cassini-Huygens mission. Huygens fits better imo because in the end he was one to discover moon Titan. Beside pendulum clock invention and his experiment with Sirius star.

What Cassini has to do with Titan?

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I do not think I would want to swim in THAT river....LOL

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True. And Titan might be one of those places in our solar system.

Based on?

Probably based on discoveries here on Earth where there is life in the most inhospitable places for humans.

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Do you know concept of Gaia theory?

I've heard of the Gaia theory and I would say just like earth, Titan has a life of it's own, cyclical and sustainable climate more so than some of the other planets in our solar system. It all depends on how broadly we define life. People are searching for just certain forms of life like would be on earth so most wouldn't buy your alternate definition of life. I speculate that everything is evolving toward a conscious life everywhere from minerals, microbes, to plants, to higher intelligence animals. Any planet or moon that sustains a cyclical climate would be a most hospitable enviroment for forms of life to evolve to consciousness even if not based on earthy like carbons that are known here. It's a closed end view of the life cycle not to see the active planets or moons as a type life form in themselves. I contemplated along those lines long before I ever heard anyone mention Gaia so I really don't know too much on that subject. Isn't Gaia the old astrological like concept of planets actually having their own soul aspects like we have a soul in a animal body?

Do you know concept of Gaia theory?

Edited by White Unicorn
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Hi WhiteUnicorn

Theory was proposed by James Lovelock. Its interesting theory. You can read it on wiki. Many interesting raised questions. Why planktons are gathering where we have Ozone hole? Like platelets in blood. Is rivers blood stream of earth? If we have just more oxygen in our athmosphere we would have fire around globe which they would never end. How come that salt in Ocean was right so life could evolve? If you are familiar with concept of black and white daisy. Sun brights more earth produce white diasy. Sun brights less earth produce black daisy. Its theory where life doesnt adopt to enviroment but rather create enviroment. Earth without life would look like Mars or Venera.

Life can effect on temperature of earth. Then sceptics often said : Oh when is meeting of life on Earth about regulating temperature? I said : When is meeting in our body to regulate temperature of our body? Earth right now should be on -20 C as I heard without life on earth because Sun is about 6000 C.(???) So is life a cure? Self mechanism for healing Earth. Are we part of that super organism? Is intelligence cure? Are we disease, tumor perhaps? Is plasma life form role as protein role , enzyms role in our body?

Trees on north are darker then trees south. Why? So they could collect more sun.

Iron in Earth, iron on our blood. EM field connection to DNA. EM field connection to protection of solar winds. Everything is right so you and I could live. I could add to that moon but that would be enough imo so you can get a picture.

I can add to that plasma life form. So if such life lives is sun alive? Sun is a star, star is plasma.

Furthermore I notice one thing. B) Some geological mechanism are only observed on Earth and Titan. So...

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Hi WhiteUnicorn

Theory was proposed by James Lovelock. Its interesting theory. You can read it on wiki. Many interesting raised questions. Why planktons are gathering where we have Ozone hole? Like platelets in blood. Is rivers blood stream of earth? If we have just more oxygen in our athmosphere we would have fire around globe which they would never end. How come that salt in Ocean was right so life could evolve? If you are familiar with concept of black and white daisy. Sun brights more earth produce white diasy. Sun brights less earth produce black daisy. Its theory where life doesnt adopt to enviroment but rather create enviroment. Earth without life would look like Mars or Venera.

Life can effect on temperature of earth. Then sceptics often said : Oh when is meeting of life on Earth about regulating temperature? I said : When is meeting in our body to regulate temperature of our body? Earth right now should be on -20 C as I heard without life on earth because Sun is about 6000 C.(???) So is life a cure? Self mechanism for healing Earth. Are we part of that super organism? Is intelligence cure? Are we disease, tumor perhaps? Is plasma life form role as protein role , enzyms role in our body?

Trees on north are darker then trees south. Why? So they could collect more sun.

Iron in Earth, iron on our blood. EM field connection to DNA. EM field connection to protection of solar winds. Everything is right so you and I could live. I could add to that moon but that would be enough imo so you can get a picture.

I can add to that plasma life form. So if such life lives is sun alive? Sun is a star, star is plasma.

Furthermore I notice one thing. B) Some geological mechanism are only observed on Earth and Titan. So...

Thanks L :)

One thing for sure every in the microcosm and macrocosm are united in the way they work in the cycles of forming life, if you stand back and take a real look at it from a distance. Mystical concept as above, so below! Very true few see the truth behind it.

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Do you know concept of Gaia theory?

Yes, Lovelock proposes that the Earth is a self regulating system, he does not propose that the Earth is actually a living thing. There is a huge difference.

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In title said Cassini but in article it said Cassini-Huygens mission. Huygens fits better imo because in the end he was one to discover moon Titan. Beside pendulum clock invention and his experiment with Sirius star.

What Cassini has to do with Titan?

You really don't know what you are talking about do you?

The Huygens probe was carried to Titan by Cassini.

Huygens mission lasted only a few hours. That probe is long since dead.

The radar map image (which this topic was supposed to be about before you started spouting your pseudo-scientific, nonsensical clap-trap) was made by the Cassini craft which is still operating, so the title is perfectly correct.

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You really don't know what you are talking about do you?

The Huygens probe was carried to Titan by Cassini.

Huygens mission lasted only a few hours. That probe is long since dead.

The radar map image (which this topic was supposed to be about before you started spouting your pseudo-scientific, nonsensical clap-trap) was made by the Cassini craft which is still operating, so the title is perfectly correct.

To tell you the truth I dont follow much news about NASA mission with so much attention. Thanks for explaining.

Anyway Cassini is just another astronomer or he did introduce something new?

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Yes, Lovelock proposes that the Earth is a self regulating system, he does not propose that the Earth is actually a living thing. There is a huge difference.

But to self regulate it Earth created life. Earth is in fact super organism. Thats how it is proposed.

So if there Earth created life for own benefits so could Titan.

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That Huygens probe was sorta ghetto, wish NASA would have developed the whole package. But interesting none the less, I think I remember reading about how it only transmitted back half the data or something, the other half was lost.

That Gaia theory is interesting, sounds like a good way of comparing how both extreames (hot and cold) on Earth can harbor different kinds of life. And they are not interchangeable. Meaning Earth has its own range for life, and so may Titan, but they are probably not interchangeable. So therefore we shouldn't go out searching for life strictly based on Earth's requirements. Am I getting that correctly? If so I wanna use that concept when trying to open people's minds to the possibilities of life.

Has anyone heard of Zoo Hypothesis? That too is an interesting possibility, proposing that aliens may choose NOT to contact us because they would rather keep us "preserved and uncontacted". Much in the same way we wouldnt kneel down to a spider and show it how to use a smartphone.

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What is the purpose of life? Life is a filter. Life absorbs energy to live. Some life developed the ability to consume other life forms and "filter" needed neutrients for continued and sustainable life while discarding usless or harmful elements or compounds. From the single cell amebae to a human body, all they do is filter elements and compounds found on earth.

The Earth also filters different elements and compounds. The heat from the center lets elements form into pools. Gold atoms stick easier to other gold atoms. The Earth filters and mixes elements all the time while we have a hot core. When the earth cools, all filtering ends.

I could go on forever, but it was plant life that filtered the atmosphere and obsorbed CO2 while giving off a new byproduct...oxygen. Without oxygen, we might have very few life species on earth.

Earth is not a living thing, but it sure mimics one.

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What is the purpose of life? Life is a filter. Life absorbs energy to live. Some life developed the ability to consume other life forms and "filter" needed neutrients for continued and sustainable life while discarding usless or harmful elements or compounds. From the single cell amebae to a human body, all they do is filter elements and compounds found on earth.

The Earth also filters different elements and compounds. The heat from the center lets elements form into pools. Gold atoms stick easier to other gold atoms. The Earth filters and mixes elements all the time while we have a hot core. When the earth cools, all filtering ends.

I could go on forever, but it was plant life that filtered the atmosphere and obsorbed CO2 while giving off a new byproduct...oxygen. Without oxygen, we might have very few life species on earth.

Earth is not a living thing, but it sure mimics one.

When comparing geological processes, plants, microbes, animals you discover it is hard to come to a standard definition, that fits all of them, for life itself! I see where some people disagree since it's like intelligent or just conscious aware animals, where do you draw the lines and how can you measure consciousness of a different species. That's a subject for philosophers to argue, but it all comes down to an individual's personal definition of what they consider LIFE to be. By general definition earth is not a living thing but it sure mimics one is so true.

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