James Webb Space Telescope captures ghostly images of clouds on Saturn's largest moon Titan
The James Webb Space Telescope has peered into the atmosphere of Saturn's largest moon Titan, capturing the first evidence of cloud formation in this moon's northern hemisphere. Titan is the second largest moon in the solar system, right behind Jupiter's Ganymede.
A team of scientists pointed the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) at Titan in November of 2022 and July of 2023. With some help from the twin telescopes at the W.M. Keck Observatory on the dormant Mauna Kea volcano in Hawaii, the JWST found evidence of cloud convection, the process through which warmer air rises and brings moisture upward to form clouds. Clouds have been seen in Titan's southern hemisphere before, but never in the northern hemisphere, where most of the moon's seas and lakes are found.
Titan has lakes and seas of liquid methane, and the moon features dynamic weather patterns just like our own planet does. That makes it unique among all of the other celestial bodies in our cosmic neighborhood, scientists say. "Titan is the only other place in our solar system that has weather like Earth, in the sense that it has clouds and rainfall onto a surface," said Conor Nixon of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and lead author of a new study about Titan's weather, in a statement.
These new observations of Titan were made during the moon's summer season. NASA's Cassini–Huygens spacecraft studied Titan between 2004 and 2017 and observed cloud convection during late summer months in the southern hemisphere, but this new study is the first to watch this phenomenon during summer in Titan's northern hemisphere.
Scientists say the new data could help solve some of the outstanding mysteries about Titan. "Together with ground-based observations, Webb is giving us precious new insights into Titan's atmosphere, that we hope to be able to investigate much closer-up in the future with a possible ESA mission to visit the Saturn system," said the European Space Agency's Thomas Cornet, a co-author of the new study.
In addition to watching clouds form in the moon's northern hemisphere, the data gathered by the JWST's observations of Titan also helped identify a "key missing piece" of the moon's chemistry: a new organic molecule known as a methyl radical that has a "free," or unbonded, electron.
Because the lakes and seas on Titan are filled with methane, this compound is a key component of many of the moon's chemical processes. Sunlight and electrons from nearby Saturn split methane molecules in Titan's atmosphere, where they then combine with other molecules to make more complex substances.
Scientists are thrilled about this discovery of methyl radical in Titan's atmosphere, as it offers a window into these active chemical processes as they occur.
"For the first time we can see the chemical cake while it's rising in the oven, instead of just the starting ingredients of flour and sugar, and then the final, iced cake," said astrochemist and study co-author Stefanie Milam of the Goddard Space Flight Center, in a NASA statement.
RELATED STORIES:
— Surf's up! Liquid methane waves on Saturn moon Titan may erode shores of alien lakes and rivers
— There's liquid on Titan, Saturn's largest moon. But something's missing and scientists are confused
— NASA's Dragonfly nuclear-powered helicopter clears key hurdle ahead of 2028 launch toward huge Saturn moon Titan
But the story won't end here, as scientists still want to know more about Titan and its chemistry. While the Cassini-Huygens mission revealed a great deal about the moon, nothing can surpass actually sending a spacecraft onto the moon itself to perform in-situ, or on-location, science.
To accomplish this, NASA is planning the ambitious Dragonfly mission, which will send a nuclear-powered octocopter onto the surface of Titan, where it will spend three years "hopping" from location to location and studying the moon's chemistry. Dragonfly is scheduled to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket in 2028, and reach the Titan in 2034, if all goes according to plan.
Dragonfly recently passed its Critical Design Review test, meaning it can now move on to being manufactured. The explorer will study Titan's potential habitability, seeking out signs of prebiotic chemistry as well as keeping a robotic eye out for any signs of life.
A study of the summer atmosphere of Titan's northern hemisphere has been published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
How Trump's commercial spaceflight executive order could benefit SpaceX, Elon Musk
SpaceX is not mentioned by name in the executive order, but stands to gain the most due to its many lucrative government contracts and ambitious launch cadence. SpaceX and Elon Musk just notched a significant win with President Donald Trump's latest executive order. Trump on Wednesday, Aug. 13, signed an executive order that eases many federal regulatory restrictions on commercial spaceflight companies in the U.S. Though SpaceX is not mentioned by name in the order, the commercial spaceflight company perhaps stands to gain the most from the move because it holds many lucrative government contracts and maintains the most active launch cadence in the U.S. The order also comes more than two months since Trump and Musk had a very public feud over a spending bill that led to a falling-out between the once-close allies – and threats that could have hampered U.S. spaceflight ambitions. Here's everything to know about Trump's commercial spaceflight executive order, as well as SpaceX's long battle with government regulators. Trump signs executive order on commercial rocket launches Trump's order directs the U.S. transportation secretary to eliminate or expedite environmental reviews for launch appovals administered by the Federal Aviation Administration, which licenses commercial rocket launches. The declaration further calls on the secretary to do away with "outdated, redundant or overly restrictive rules for launch and re-entry vehicles," the White House said in a statement provided to Reuters. Trump's order states that it is imperative to increase commercial rocket launches in the U.S. to "ensure that new space-based industries, space exploration capabilities, and cutting-edge defense systems are pioneered in America rather than by our adversaries." Order could ease environmental regulations for SpaceX missions The executive order would directly benefit private spaceflight companies like Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, both of which conduct the bulk of their operations in Texas. SpaceX, which Musk founded in 2002, likely stands to gain the most from the relaxed regulatory environment. The commercial rocket launch company leads the way in U.S. spaceflight missions by routinely conducting Starlink satellite deployments using its Falcon 9 rocket from both California and Florida. SpaceX's Falcon 9, one of the world's most active rockets, is also the vehicle of choice for NASA when the space agency sends astronauts to the International Space Station. What's more, the SpaceX Crew Dragon Capsule perched atop the rocket is the only U.S. vehicle capable of transporting astronauts to the orbital laboratory. SpaceX additionally benefits from billions of dollars in contracts from not only NASA, but the Department of Defense by providing launch services for classified satellites and other payloads. Trump's order comes as SpaceX prepares to launch its massive 400-foot Starship rocket again in August from its Starbase headquarters in South Texas. Musk has also oft-stated his commitment to increasing the cadence of test missions for the spacecraft after receiving key regulatory approval. The launch vehicle, regarded as the world's largest and most powerful rocket, is set to serve a pivotal role in future U.S. spaceflight. Starship is the centerpiece of Musk's vision of sending the first humans to Mars, and is also critical in NASA's plans to return astronauts to the moon's surface. Elon Musk, SpaceX have battled regulations for years Trump's executive order is undoubtedly a huge win for Musk, who has spent years pushing back on federal regulations he views as "superfluous." In September 2024, the FAA announced a proposal to hit SpaceX with $633,009 in civil penalties for what the agency claims were failures by the company to follow license requirements ahead of two separate launches last year. In response, Musk took to his social media site X to indicate his plans to sue the agency for "regulatory overreach." The FAA has previously said in a statement to USA TODAY that it seeks to balance spaceflight progress with the need to ensure commercial launches are safely conducted. A record 148 FAA-licensed commercial space operations took place in 2024, up by more than 30% from the year prior, the agency has noted. But when it comes to Starship's development, SpaceX has become known for its risk-tolerant philosophy. Musk has stressed that rapid and frequent testing that sometimes leads to explosive ends can still provide data that helps engineers improve the vehicle's design. Environmental groups, others long oppose SpaceX rocket launches That aggressive approach, though, has rankled environmentalists and others who have criticized SpaceX's operations for potentially decimating regional ecosystems. The South Texas Environmental Justice Network, which has long opposed Musk and his space program, most recently issued a statement in May condemning the FAA for approving SpaceX's request to increase its Starship flight tests to 25 a year. In late June, Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum threatened to sue SpaceX if investigators determined that Musk's spaceflight company had contributed to undue pollution and marine life die-off in the country. The announcement came after the fiery mishap earlier in the month caused debris to fall in the Mexican state of Tamaulipa. Contributing: Reuters Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Six planets are hanging out in early morning skies this month. Here's how to spot them
NEW YORK (AP) — Six planets are hanging out in the sky this month in what's known as a planetary parade. Catch the spectacle while you can because it's the last one of the year. These linkups happen when several planets appear to line up in the night sky at once. Such parades are fairly common, happening around every year depending on the number of planets. At least one bright planet can be spotted on most nights, weather permitting, according to NASA. Six planets were visible in January skies and every planet of our solar system was visible in February, but not all could be spotted with the naked eye. Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and a faint Mercury are visible this month without any special equipment, and the best chances to spot them are over the next week. Uranus and Neptune can only be glimpsed through binoculars and telescopes. Jupiter and Venus made a close brush earlier this week and are still near each other in the eastern sky, 'close together like cat's eyes,' said Carolyn Sumners at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Mercury will be at its farthest point from the sun on Tuesday morning, making it easier to spot before it disappears into the sun's glare. To catch the planets, go out in the morning shortly before sunrise and look east. Try to find Jupiter and Venus clustered together first. Saturn is off to the side and Mercury will be close to the horizon, trying to rise before the sun. 'You're looking for little tiny pinpoints of light, but they are the brightest ones,' said Justin Bartel with the Science Museum of Virginia. 'They don't really twinkle like the stars do.' Before heading out, make sure it is a clear, cloudless morning and try to get away from tall buildings that could block the view. Mercury will hide behind the sun again toward the end of the month, but a crescent moon will then join the parade. The next big planetary hangout is in February. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
Six planets are hanging out in early morning skies this month. Here's how to spot them
NEW YORK — Six planets are hanging out in the sky this month in what's known as a planetary parade . Catch the spectacle while you can because it's the last one of the year. These linkups happen when several planets appear to line up in the night sky at once. Such parades are fairly common, happening around every year depending on the number of planets. At least one bright planet can be spotted on most nights, weather permitting, according to NASA.
