ev0| Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 Space scientists say their discoveries about Saturn's moon Enceladus are stunning, if just a little baffling. Using the instrument-packed Cassini probe, they have confirmed that the 500km-wide world has an atmosphere. They have also seen a "hotspot" at the icy moon's south pole, which is riven with cracks dubbed "tiger stripes". "There were signs from a long time ago that Enceladus was a strange moon," said Dr Carolyn Porco, leader of Cassini's imaging team. Source : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4197686.stm This moon has some kind of weird heating going on in the south pole that our scientists cannot explain by any current theory. There are these blue "tiger stripes" that are organic in nature near there and this is only the second object in the solar system that has internal heating going on. It also has a thin atmosphere, and it reflects 90 percent of the light thrown at it - making it the brightest (non-star) object in the solar system. Scientists are not sure what it is made of. Let's send a rover on the weird blue area !!!! :geek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revvo Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 That is weird... hot spots on a moon of Saturn :ninja: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincent Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 Maybe the heat is being caused by gravitational tugging from the other moons and by Saturn? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axon Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 Very interesting. Sounds like their trying to insinuate that there could be organic forms growing on the surface... That would be quite remarkable. -Ax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
username Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 Maybe the heat is being caused by gravitational tugging from the other moons and by Saturn? 586457423[/snapback] Thats what I am thinking, at least what I have read about what causes other moons to have that type of activity. Send a rover there now! Or at least before I die. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincent Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 Thats what I am thinking, at least what I have read about what causes other moons to have that type of activity. Send a rover there now! Or at least before I die. 586462102[/snapback] Geological unstability due to the other moons tuggin on one side, while Saturn is tuggin on the other, has to be the only reason for this heat It just the only theory that makes sense. At least from what i read on studies about Jupiter's moon Io. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
username Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 Geological unstability due to the other moons tuggin on one side, while Saturn is tuggin on the other, has to be the only reason for this heat It just the only theory that makes sense. At least from what i read on studies about Jupiter's moon Io. :) 586462132[/snapback] Yeah, thats what I read about too. Though it could have a lot of readioactive elements such as uranium as the earth to heat it up too. Who knows really. But that is just the coolest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ev0| Posted September 1, 2005 Author Share Posted September 1, 2005 Geological unstability due to the other moons tuggin on one side, while Saturn is tuggin on the other, has to be the only reason for this heat It just the only theory that makes sense. At least from what i read on studies about Jupiter's moon Io. :) 586462132[/snapback] Umm, in the article it says : As the moon moves around an eccentric orbit of Saturn, gravitational forces should subject the tiny world to some tidal heating. Radioactive isotopes in its rocky core may also be a source of some warming. But scientists are struggling to make the numbers add up and are frankly baffled as to why the activity they see should be so concentrated in just the one region. so it's not "adding up" :unsure: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
username Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 Umm, in the article it says : As the moon moves around an eccentric orbit of Saturn, gravitational forces should subject the tiny world to some tidal heating. Radioactive isotopes in its rocky core may also be a source of some warming. But scientists are struggling to make the numbers add up and are frankly baffled as to why the activity they see should be so concentrated in just the one region. so it's not "adding up" :unsure: 586462362[/snapback] yeah, well they don't understand hotspots like those on earth that formed the hawaiian islands either really, maybe its just a hotspot?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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