spacetoday.net: Lakes seen on Titan

Posted: Thu, Jan 4, 2007, 8:07 AM ET (1307 GMT)
Cassini false color image of Titan lakes (NASA/JPL/USGS)

Scientists have found what they believe is definitive evidence that lakes of liquid methane exist on the surface of Saturn's largest moon, Titan. In a paper published in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature, scientists said radar imaging data collected during a flyby of the moon by NASA's Cassini spacecraft in July 2006 showed that dark features seen near the moon's north pole are best explained by them being lakes. Features seen by Cassini consistent with the features being lakes include their location in topographic depressions and varying levels of fill. The results confirm preliminary assessments of data from the flyby that appeared to support the existence of lakes.