Distant moon could have aliens on it – and experts just spotted a ‘mysterious motion' in its atmosphere
A DISTANT moon in our solar system might mirror Earth's seasons, according to scientists, who also believe it could be a candidate for finding nearby alien life.
And scientists just spotted a mysterious motion in its atmosphere.
6
Titan is the only moon in our solar system with a significant atmosphere, making it a top candidate for exploration
Credit: NASA / ESA / IPGP / Labex UnivEarthS / University Paris Diderot illustration
It even has an ocean hiding beneath its surface.
Some 746million miles (1.2billion kilometers) away from Earth, the distant moon is thought to have rain clouds just like Earth.
Unlike seasons on Earth, Titan has a much longer seasonal cycle, with each year on the moon lasting nearly three decades on our planet.
READ MORE ON SPACE
Despite its brutally cold temperatures, which average around -179C (-290F), this strange, alien world appears to have the organic ingredients for life.
Titan is the only moon in our solar system with a significant atmosphere, making it a top candidate for exploration.
Nasa's $3.35billion (£2.48billion)
The mission just passed its critical design review - meaning engineers can begin building the helicopter-like robot ahead of its scheduled launch in July 2028.
Most read in Science
Dragonfly, which was officially selected as a viable mission in 2019, is expected to reach Titan sometime in 2034.
6
Nasa's $3.35billion (£2.48billion) Dragonfly mission to Saturn's moon is set to explore the possibility of past or present water-based life
Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribben
6
Dragonfly, which was officially selected as a viable mission in 2019, is expected to reach Titan sometime in 2034
Credit: Johns Hopkins APL
'Strange' motion
In late May, researchers found that Titan's hazy atmosphere wobbles like a gyroscope in line with its seasons, as opposed to spinning in line with its surface.
The "strange" motion was detected following analysis of archival infrared data gathered by Cassini probe.
"The behavior of Titan's atmospheric tilt is very strange," Dr. Lucy Wright, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Bristol, said at the time.
"Titan's atmosphere appears to be acting like a gyroscope, stabilising itself in space.
"We think some event in the past may have knocked the atmosphere off its spin axis, causing it to wobble.
"Even more intriguingly, we've found that the size of this tilt changes with Titan's seasons."
6
In late May, researchers found that Titan's hazy atmosphere wobbles like a gyroscope in line with its seasons, as opposed to spinning in line with its surface
Credit: SWNS
But understanding how the atmosphere wobbles with the seasons is crucial for calculating the landing trajectory of Dragonfly.
The rotorcraft will be carried by Titan's fast-moving winds as it descends through the atmosphere.
Winds on Titan's upper atmosphere can be tempestuous, with speeds reaching up to 270mph (430kmph).
Near the surface, however, the winds are much weaker.
The tilt of the planet affects how Dragonfly's payload - a suite of scientific instruments designed to search for alien life - will be carried through the air.
So research into the atmospheric motion can help engineers better predict where Dragonfly will touch down on the lunar surface.
6
A 3D illustration of the hydrocarbon lakes on Titan
Credit: Getty
6
Saturn's moon Titan could harbor life, but only a tiny amount, a new study found
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Food for thought
There appears to be plenty of organic material on Titan to support alien lifeforms, according to a
Its lakes and its subsurface ocean believed to be 300miles deep, is thought to be filled with cold, oily methane and ethane - which is organic material.
"There has been this sense that because Titan has such abundant organics, there is no shortage of food sources that could sustain life," Antonin Affholder, of the University of Arizona and lead author of the paper, said in a statement.
The world exceeds even Earth's oil reserves.
However, scientists remain skeptical, and while Titan could harbour life, it's likely only to be a small amount.
"We point out that not all of these organic molecules may constitute food sources, the ocean is really big," added Affholder.
"And there's limited exchange between the ocean and the surface, where all those organics are, so we argue for a more nuanced approach."
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The Irish Sun
20 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Distant moon could have aliens on it – and experts just spotted a ‘mysterious motion' in its atmosphere
A DISTANT moon in our solar system might mirror Earth's seasons, according to scientists, who also believe it could be a candidate for finding nearby alien life. And scientists just spotted a mysterious motion in its atmosphere. 6 Titan is the only moon in our solar system with a significant atmosphere, making it a top candidate for exploration Credit: NASA / ESA / IPGP / Labex UnivEarthS / University Paris Diderot illustration It even has an ocean hiding beneath its surface. Some 746million miles (1.2billion kilometers) away from Earth, the distant moon is thought to have rain clouds just like Earth. Unlike seasons on Earth, Titan has a much longer seasonal cycle, with each year on the moon lasting nearly three decades on our planet. READ MORE ON SPACE Despite its brutally cold temperatures, which average around -179C (-290F), this strange, alien world appears to have the organic ingredients for life. Titan is the only moon in our solar system with a significant atmosphere, making it a top candidate for exploration. Nasa's $3.35billion (£2.48billion) The mission just passed its critical design review - meaning engineers can begin building the helicopter-like robot ahead of its scheduled launch in July 2028. Most read in Science Dragonfly, which was officially selected as a viable mission in 2019, is expected to reach Titan sometime in 2034. 6 Nasa's $3.35billion (£2.48billion) Dragonfly mission to Saturn's moon is set to explore the possibility of past or present water-based life Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribben 6 Dragonfly, which was officially selected as a viable mission in 2019, is expected to reach Titan sometime in 2034 Credit: Johns Hopkins APL 'Strange' motion In late May, researchers found that Titan's hazy atmosphere wobbles like a gyroscope in line with its seasons, as opposed to spinning in line with its surface. The "strange" motion was detected following analysis of archival infrared data gathered by Cassini probe. "The behavior of Titan's atmospheric tilt is very strange," Dr. Lucy Wright, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Bristol, said at the time. "Titan's atmosphere appears to be acting like a gyroscope, stabilising itself in space. "We think some event in the past may have knocked the atmosphere off its spin axis, causing it to wobble. "Even more intriguingly, we've found that the size of this tilt changes with Titan's seasons." 6 In late May, researchers found that Titan's hazy atmosphere wobbles like a gyroscope in line with its seasons, as opposed to spinning in line with its surface Credit: SWNS But understanding how the atmosphere wobbles with the seasons is crucial for calculating the landing trajectory of Dragonfly. The rotorcraft will be carried by Titan's fast-moving winds as it descends through the atmosphere. Winds on Titan's upper atmosphere can be tempestuous, with speeds reaching up to 270mph (430kmph). Near the surface, however, the winds are much weaker. The tilt of the planet affects how Dragonfly's payload - a suite of scientific instruments designed to search for alien life - will be carried through the air. So research into the atmospheric motion can help engineers better predict where Dragonfly will touch down on the lunar surface. 6 A 3D illustration of the hydrocarbon lakes on Titan Credit: Getty 6 Saturn's moon Titan could harbor life, but only a tiny amount, a new study found Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Food for thought There appears to be plenty of organic material on Titan to support alien lifeforms, according to a Its lakes and its subsurface ocean believed to be 300miles deep, is thought to be filled with cold, oily methane and ethane - which is organic material. "There has been this sense that because Titan has such abundant organics, there is no shortage of food sources that could sustain life," Antonin Affholder, of the University of Arizona and lead author of the paper, said in a statement. The world exceeds even Earth's oil reserves. However, scientists remain skeptical, and while Titan could harbour life, it's likely only to be a small amount. "We point out that not all of these organic molecules may constitute food sources, the ocean is really big," added Affholder. "And there's limited exchange between the ocean and the surface, where all those organics are, so we argue for a more nuanced approach." All you need to know about planets in our solar system Our solar system is made up of nine planets with Earth the third closest to the Sun. But each planet has its own quirks, so find out more about them all... How old is How many moons does What colour is How far away is How big is How many moons does Does How many moons does How big is How hot is the
Irish Times
a day ago
- Irish Times
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid: An imperfect addition to the lesbians-in-space genre
Atmosphere Author : Taylor Jenkins Reid ISBN-13 : 978-1529152975 Publisher : Hutchinson Heinemann Guideline Price : £20 It's been a good year for lesbians in space. First, the Australian animated film Lesbian Space Princess made its world premiere at the 2025 Berlinale. Now, Taylor Jenkins Reid's ninth novel depicts a – literally – cosmic disaster steered by lesbian astronauts. Set in the early 1980s, Atmosphere follows Joan Goodwin and Vanessa Ford, two fictional women joining Nasa not long after the first American woman on the moon, Sally Ride. As Joan fulfils her dream of training at Houston's Johnson Space Centre, a wave of gay realisation hits her hard and fast. Just as her early infatuation begins to raise questions about how to live with a same-sex partner in a viciously homophobic world – 'You do realise bringing a woman as your date will make you look like a … you know …" – a 1984 mission threatens to take an apocalyptic turn. There's much talk these days about the screenplayification of novels, the claim that writers are replacing interiority with action and dialogue in a bid to get lucratively optioned. Less discussed is the increasingly default presence of cinematically non-linear narratives. What was once an experiment has become the done thing: 1. opening teaser as close to the end as possible, 2. cut to much earlier in the story, 3. interweave the pursuit of both threads until they join definitively at the end. Atmosphere follows this formula. READ MORE I doubt it would bother the author to have this pointed out. In her recent cover interview with Time, Jenkins Reid shot back at critics who assumed she'd ever been trying to write literary fiction: '[M]aybe I love being Candy Land [Jonathan] Franzen.' The novel's feminism operates at a similar emotional temperature: friendly, with a tendency to flatter the 21st-century reader's existing sensibilities She's not a stylist, and that's fine. Franzen can write Franzen's books. Jenkins Reid's job is to write her own. Her sentences convey character, setting and plot without drawing attention to themselves. Unhindered by the road bump of experimental prose, a casual reader might breeze past the insight often packed into short strings of words. But dialogue like this will seep into you if you let it: 'Have you ever been in love?' 'No, I don't think so.' 'Well, it's like a bad cold: it's miserable and then, one day, it's gone.' The humour is gentle rather than uproarious. Only once did I laugh aloud: '… Hank was the recipient of a very large trust fund. It was a fact that Hank wore with complexity." But there are moments that will elicit a soft smile, as when none of Joan's male colleagues make Nasa's final selection: 'No men from our group, huh?' 'No […] I am afraid they were not up to snuff." [ Taylor Jenkins Reid: 'Marriages are messy. Our lives are messy. Convenient truths don't exist' Opens in new window ] The novel's feminism operates at a similar emotional temperature: friendly, with a tendency to flatter the 21st-century reader's existing sensibilities, rather than to prompt any startling self-interrogation. 'Don't thank me for doing the bare minimum,' a male astronaut tells Joan. 'It does a disservice to us both.' I don't disagree. Does anyone reading this? One could reasonably rejoin that Jenkins Reid had never been trying to prompt any ideological awakening. The greater issue is how present-day online the phrase is. 'The bare minimum' has been kicking around the English language for ages, of course, but its application to men being called feminist pioneers for acts of ordinary decency is distractingly contemporary. 'Thank you for your excellent notes on how I can be scared in a less vulnerable way,' Joan says. 'Did she fumble?' she wonders. She's several decades too early for 'vulnerable' to readily signify performatively confessional femininity, and back in the innocent 1980s the verb 'to fumble' still needed an object. The scattering of these moments is too uneven for it to read as an intentional gesture to modern readers. When the language does embody the context, it's thrilling. Here's a liaison with ground control: 'We are go.' 'Guidance?' 'Go.' 'FIDO?', and on for another 20 lines. I had only the vaguest clue what was happening and I loved it; the texture and energy mattered more than the exact meaning. [ Daisy Jones & the Six: Everyone looks perpetually glamorous, but it's a soulless jingle Opens in new window ] I imagine it will divide gay readers that the HIV epidemic is mentioned only once. 'At that very moment, people all over the country were convinced that Aids was a punishment for moral failing,' muses the narrator in autumn 1983. Two paragraphs later, Joan has returned to wishing she could get married. There is little sense of a broader queer community for the astronauts. Their romance takes place in an intergalactic vacuum – or a near-vacuum, to deploy the scientific precision that Joan would want – while gay people at home die en masse. Some will hate this. Others will respond that we already have enough books on the trauma of those years. Even readers who find the intimacy myopic will, I think, be moved by it at the same time: 'Joan had had no idea how quickly you could learn another's body. How swiftly their legs become your legs, their arms your arms.' May the lesbian space genre continue to boom. This book is an imperfect addition, but one that floats. Naoise Dolan's latest novel is The Happy Couple
RTÉ News
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- RTÉ News
Musk to end US spaceship programme amid Trump row
SpaceX chief Elon Musk said his spaceflight company will ground its Dragon spacecraft - which is used by NASA for resupply and astronaut returns - as part of his feud with US President Donald Trump. Yesterday, Mr Trump threatened to cancel Mr Musk's government contracts, after the two men fell out over US budget policy. The public eruption of hostilities between the world's richest man and the President of the United States became even more intense after yesterday's comments by President Trump during an oval office meeting with the German Chancellor. The two have clashed publicly over the budget bill making its way through congress to fund the President's priorities. Mr Trump accused Mr Musk of being upset because the bill cuts away subsidies for electric cars like Tesla, and because he refused to appoint a Mr Musk ally as head of NASA. The two men have taken to their rival social media platforms to trade insults, with Mr Musk writing: "In light of the President's statement about cancellation of my government contracts, SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately." Following Mr Musk's announcement, NASA spokeswoman Bethany Stevens said on X that the government space agency would "continue to execute upon the President's vision for the future of space." "We will continue to work with our industry partners to ensure the President's objectives in space are met," she added. NASA had hoped to certify Boeing's Starliner for crewed missions, but that programme has faced severe delays. Its most recent test flight last year ended in failure after the spacecraft experienced propulsion issues en route to the orbital lab with its first astronaut crew. The Starliner ultimately returned to Earth empty, while the two astronauts were brought home by SpaceX earlier this year. Crew Dragon's certification in 2020 ended nearly a decade of US reliance on Russian Soyuz rockets to transport astronauts following the retirement of the Space Shuttle programme in 2011. American astronauts still fly aboard Soyuz rockets, while Russian cosmonauts ride on Crew Dragons under a longstanding seat-swap agreement. In addition to NASA missions, Crew Dragon also flies private missions - most recently Fram2, which carried tourists over the Earth's poles. The next scheduled crew launch is Tuesday's Axiom-4 mission, which will see Crew Dragon transport astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary to the ISS.
