Possible Signs of Alien Life? Methane in the Plumes of Saturn’s Moon Enceladus
A study published in Nature Astronomy concludes that known geochemical processes can’t explain the levels of methane measured by the Cassini spacecraft on Saturn’s icy…
Saturn
“Helium Rain Is Real!” – Experiments Validate the Possibility of Helium Rain Inside Jupiter and Saturn
Nearly 40 years ago, scientists first predicted the existence of helium rain inside planets composed primarily of hydrogen and helium, such as Jupiter and Saturn….
Scientists Model Saturn’s Interior – Thick Layer of Helium Rain May Influence the Planet’s Magnetic Field
Researchers simulate conditions necessary for planet’s unique magnetic field. New Johns Hopkins University simulations offer an intriguing look into Saturn’s interior, suggesting that a thick…
Encased in an Icy Shell, the Ocean on Saturn’s Moon Enceladus Appears to Be Churning
Buried beneath 20 kilometers of ice, the subsurface ocean of Enceladus—one of Saturn’s moons—appears to be churning with currents akin to those on Earth. The…
Saturn’s Spring Witnessed Up Close by an Emissary From Earth
Spring doesn’t just happen on Earth. Spring also happens on some of our neighboring planets in the solar system. Of the countless equinoxes Saturn has…
Worlds With Underground Oceans – Like Europa, Titan, and Enceladus – May Be More Conducive to Supporting Life Than Earth
Layers of ice and rock obviate the need for “habitable zone” and shield life against threats. SwRI researcher theorizes worlds with underground oceans may be…
Stunning Hubble Images Capture Changing Seasons in Saturn’s Vast and Turbulent Atmosphere
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope is giving astronomers a view of changes in Saturn’s vast and turbulent atmosphere as the planet’s northern hemisphere summer transitions to…
Mars, Pleiades, Jupiter, Saturn and Other Skywatching Highlights for March 2021
What’s Up for March? Mars and friends in the evening, and a brilliant pair of planets returns… In the first week or so of March,…
Two Scientists Have Figured Out What Caused Saturn’s Tilt
Two scientists from CNRS and Sorbonne University working at the Institute of Celestial Mechanics and Ephemeris Calculation (Paris Observatory – PSL/CNRS) have just shown that…
Kraken Mare – a Sea of Liquid Methane on Saturn’s Largest Moon, Titan – Estimated to Be 1,000 Feet Deep
Far below the gaseous atmospheric shroud on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, lies Kraken Mare, a sea of liquid methane. Cornell astronomers have estimated that sea…
Rare Skywatching Treat: The “Christmas Star” – Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn
Skywatchers are in for an end-of-year treat. What has become known popularly as the “Christmas Star” is an especially vibrant planetary conjunction easily visible in…
Discovery Provides More Evidence That Saturn’s Moon Enceladus Could Support Life in Its Subsurface Ocean
Models Point to a Potentially Diverse Metabolic Menu at Enceladus Using data from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, scientists at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) modeled chemical processes…
Don’t Miss It: Jupiter, Saturn Will Look Like Double Planet for First Time Since Middle Ages
Just after sunset on the evening of December 21, 2020, Jupiter and Saturn will appear closer together in Earth’s night sky than they have been…
New Chronology of the Saturn Planetary System
A new chronology for the moons of Saturn has been developed by Planetary Science Institute Associate Research Scientist Samuel W. Bell. “Most studies dating surfaces…
Secrets of Saturn’s Largest Moon Titan Revealed by Impact Craters
New research on nine craters of Saturn’s largest moon provides more details about how weathering affects the evolution of the surface — and what lies…
An Additional Planet Between Saturn and Uranus Was Kicked Out of the Solar System
Where were Jupiter and Saturn born? New work led by Carnegie’s Matt Clement reveals the likely original locations of Saturn and Jupiter. These findings refine…
NASA Discovers “Very Weird” Molecule in Titan’s Atmosphere
NASA scientists identified a molecule in Titan’s atmosphere that has never been detected in any other atmosphere. In fact, many chemists have probably barely heard…
Saturn’s Moon Titan Has Ingredients for Life
Catherine Neish is counting the days until her space launch. While the Western planetary geologist isn’t space-suiting up for her own interstellar voyage, she is…