spacetoday.net: Cassini sees new evidence of Titan lakes

Posted: Wed, Mar 14, 2007, 8:42 AM ET (1242 GMT)
Cassini radar image of Titan lakes, March 2007 (NASA/JPL)

Planetary scientists reported this week that the radar on the Cassini spacecraft has found new evidence of lakes of liquid hydrocarbons on Saturn's largest moon, Titan. Radar images released Tuesday showed what appears to be a large lake in Titan's high northern latitudes; the lake is larger than any of the Great Lakes in North America. Scientists said they don't have conclusive proof that the features are lakes, but that is the most likely explanation given their smooth surfaces in the radar images. If they are lakes, they are most likely filled with a mixture of liquid ethane and methane. Scientists had long suspected that the surface of Titan would feature lakes or even large seas of liquid hydrocarbons, but observations to date have revealed only spotty evidence for small lakes, primarily near the moon's north pole.