'It's not water': MIT Astronomers discover mysterious liquid on Saturn's moon Titan

Titan Has Flowing Liquid—But It’s Not Water

Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, has long been known to host rivers and seas of liquid methane and ethane. It’s the only other body in our solar system, apart from Earth, with surface liquid.

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Deltas Could Hold Clues to Titan’s History


Scientists had hoped to study deltas on Titan as they tend to collect sediment from large regions. Such sediment could have provided insight into the moon’s geological and climatic evolution, and possibly even supported astrobiological research.

Surface Observations Limited by Radar Limitations


NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, which studied Titan during multiple flybys, used synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to penetrate the moon’s thick atmosphere. However, methane seas are mostly transparent in SAR data, making coastal features difficult to discern.

Scientists Simulate Titan Conditions on Earth


To improve understanding, researchers at Brown University created computer models using Earth's landscapes but replaced water with Titan’s methane. This allowed them to assess how familiar landforms might appear in Cassini’s radar data.

Simulated Images Show What Cassini Might Miss


The synthetic radar images successfully identified large deltas and coastlines on Earth, suggesting that if similar features existed on Titan, Cassini should have seen them—raising further doubts about their presence on the moon.

New Mysteries Emerge from Re-analysed Data


Re-evaluation of Cassini’s radar maps has revealed other puzzling features on Titan, including unexplained pits along coasts and deep, sharply-cut channels within sea floors. These findings add to the complexity of understanding Titan’s surface.