Titan a 'Flammable' Moon'

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2005-01-21 11:31 AM

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Philadelphia, south of New York and north of DC
Subject: Titan a 'Flammable' Moon'
A question for all the geologist on this board.

The space probe Huygens is reporting that Titan is covered with methane.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&e=10&u=/nm/20050121/ts_nm/space_titan_dc

I thought that methane was formed by the breakdown of organic matter. It's pretty safe to assume that there has never been life on Titan.

So how is methane formed anyway?


Edited by dontracy 2005-01-21 11:32 AM

2005-01-21 12:08 PM
in reply to: #106664

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Master
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Mechanicsburg, PA
Subject: RE: Titan a 'Flammable' Moon'
This is the one that broke my heart though... Can you imagine working on a project for 18 years only to have someone forget to turn a transmitter on and flush 18 years worth of work down the toilet?

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1894&e=2&u=/ap/2005...

As far as methane in space, I can't help you there. I'm not a astrochemist. Maybe there's a cattle ranch there?

-Frank
2005-01-21 4:57 PM
in reply to: #106664

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Elite
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Subject: RE: Titan a 'Flammable' Moon'

I read about abiogenically formed methane in the paper this week.  I found a different reporting of the study on it on the web just now..

http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20040925/fob7.asp

Apparently, if you mix the right stuff together and squeeze really hard you produce methane.  Any teenage boy knows that.

TW

2005-01-23 12:27 AM
in reply to: #106693

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Expert
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Potomac, Maryland
Subject: RE: Titan a 'Flammable' Moon'

[QUOTE] This is the one that broke my heart though... Can you imagine working on a project for 18 years only to have someone forget to turn a transmitter on and flush 18 years worth of work down the toilet?

Good news - That scientist is pretty lucky after all!  A project in which radio telescopes on earth tracked transmissions from the Huygens probe will be able to recreate the wind data allowing the German scientist to get the information necessary for his planned analysis.  He will simply have to wait a bit longer than planned as it will take several months to  assimilate the information.

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