Observations from the international Cassini spacecraft suggest Saturn’s largest moon may have active or recently active ice volcanoes.
Radar images point to flows on the surface of Titan that could result from volcanoes spewing chilled liquid from the interior, scientists reported last week.
Previous images suggested ice volcanoes existed, and scientists believe they would erupt with ammonia, methane and water instead of lava, which erupts from volcanoes on earth.
PHOTO: AP/NASA
The latest data “not only indicate that volcanoes have been erupting in the recent past, but might even be going on today,” said Cassini scientist Jonathan Lunine of the University of Arizona in Tucson.
Titan is one of the few bodies in the solar system with a significant atmosphere. Scientists believe methane gas breaks up in the atmosphere and forms clouds that rain methane.
The source of methane remains a mystery. Scientists favoring the volcanic theory say methane eruptions from Titan’s interior could explain the moon’s smoggy atmosphere.
Data found bright spots on two regions on Titan. In one of the regions, scientists found evidence of ammonia frost.
But not everyone is sitting on the same side of the fence.
Scientist Jeff Moore of NASA’s Ames Research Center said the results were interesting, but don’t prove anything.
“Something is going on. Exactly what it is, isn’t clear,” Moore said.
The spacecraft has been orbiting Saturn and studying its rings and moons since 2004.(AP)
國際太空船「卡西尼號」傳回的觀測資料顯示，土星的最大衛星上可能有活冰火山或最近才開始活動的冰火山。
科學家上週報告說，雷達圖像指出，泰坦表面的流體可能是火山內部噴射出的冷凍液體。
先前傳回的圖像顯示，泰坦上有冰火山；科學家認為，這些冰火山會噴出氨、甲烷和水，不同於地球上的火山爆發時會噴出熔岩。
土桑市亞利桑納大學的「卡西尼號」任務科學家強納森．盧奈說，最新的資料指出，「這些火山不僅曾在近代多次噴發，甚至連現在也可能爆發」。
泰坦是太陽系中少數擁有濃厚大氣層的天體之一。科學家認為，甲烷氣消散於大氣中後形成雲，再降下甲烷雨。
泰坦上的甲烷從何而來仍是個謎。支持火山理論的科學家們認為，泰坦內部噴出的甲烷可以為這個衛星霧濛濛的大氣提出解釋。
資料顯示，泰坦上有兩個區域呈現亮點。科學家在其中一區發現霜狀氨的證據。
但並非所有人都持相同看法。
美國航太總署艾姆斯研究中心的科學家傑夫．摩爾說，這些結果很有意思，但並不能證明什麼。
摩爾說：「的確有什麼事情發生，但究竟是什麼，還不清楚。」
這艘太空船自從二ＯＯ四年起繞行土星，觀察土星環和其衛星。（美聯社�翻譯：袁星塵）
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