Tuesday, October 20, 2009

I am fascinated by Saturn's moon Titan










I am currently hooked on the History program The Universe.

The episode I am watching tonight is covering Titan, the 6th moon orbiting Saturn. It has a thick atmosphere that is more dense than Earth's. And it has lakes and oceans that resemble Earth... only the lakes are not filled with water but liquid methane, crashing against a shore made of solid ice.

The weather on Titan is intense with rainstorms that help create giant lakes and rivers. And because it is a moon of Saturn, it orbits the sun at a much slower rate. Each season lasts 7 years as it takes 30 Earth years to revolve around the sun once.

Perhaps life can form on Titan. Not life that could sustain on Earth, but perhaps life that evolves not with water as its source but methane.

It is an enlightening program... one that sparks thought... one that presents the wonders of the solar system in a comprehensible and yet mind boggling manner.

And I wouldn't have learned ANY of that had I been watching the Angels being massacred by the Yankees tonight.

I knew by the 4th inning this game (and series) was over.

And during that 4th inning, I had no clue about the oceans of Titan.

Now I do.

And so do you.



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