spacetoday.net: Methane rains transform Titan's surface

Methane rains transform Titan's surface

Posted: Fri, Mar 18, 2011, 7:28 AM ET (1128 GMT)
Cassini image of Titan from March 2011 (NASA/JPL)

Changes in color in regions of Titan's surface are likely the result of methane rainfalls, scientists reported this week. In a paper published in the journal Science, researchers noted that a region of the planet's equatorial deserts became darker for a short period after a cloud formation passed over it, based on images and other data from the Cassini spacecraft. The most likely cause of that temporary darkening is that the methane rain from the cloud system, making the surface wet and thus appear darker. The weather patterns suggest that Titan has weather patterns and seasonal cycles not unlike the Earth's.