Moons of Saturn

The Earth s atmosphere is composed primarily of non-polar molecules like N2 and O2, especially at greater altitudes where the H2O concentrations are small. One would therefore expect collision-induced contributions to the absorption of the Earth s atmosphere from N2-N2, N2-O2 and O2-O2 pairs. The induced rototranslational absorption of nitrogen has not been detected in the Earth s atmosphere, presumably because of strong interference by water absorption bands, but absorption in the various induced vibrational bands is well established (Tipping 1985). Titan (the large moon of Saturn) has a nitrogen atmosphere, somewhat like the Earth methane is also present. Collision-induced absorption by N2-N2 and N2-CH4 is important in the far infrared. 

The moons of Saturn have a direct influence on Saturn s rings. A natural tendency of ring materials is to spread both toward and away from the planet, but the moons and a complex interplay of gravitational forces shape the rings and define their structure. Mimas. . . Tethys. . . Dione. . . Rhea. . . Enceladus. . . Iapetus. . . And Hyperion. . . ... 

The moons of Saturn have a direct influence on Saturn s rings. A natural tendency of ring materials is to spread both toward and away from the planet, but the moons and a complex tnterplay of gravitational forces shape the rings and define their structure. 

The discovery of evidence of liquid water-ammonia eutectics on Titan provides a context for the potential for polar fluids outside what is normally regarded as the habitable zone. The stay of the Cassini-Huygens mission on the surface of Titan was brief, but this moon of Saturn is the locale that is most likely to support exotic life. The committee believes that it is important to consider whether the planned missions to the solar system should be reordered to permit returning to Titan earlier than now scheduled. 

The many moons of Saturn are readily shown to orbit the planet at commensurable distances, exactly analogous to those of the planets orbiting the sun. Assuming the moon Hyperion to reside at a relative orbital distance of 5/6, which means N = 5, the other major moons, likewise assume integer A-values. 

Tholins are complex organics that form via photolysis reaction in the atmosphere of Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, which produces a thick reddish-brown haze. As for the material reported here tholin material can be produced in the laboratory by cold plasma discharge in a nitrogen-methane mixture. 

Lorenz, Ralph, andjacquehne Mitton. Lifting Titan s Veil Exploring the Giant Moon of Saturn. London Cambridge University Press, 2002. 

But farther out, this sweepstakes has more recent entries. In particular, one other big rock in our solar system has retained a thick atmosphere and liquid oceans on its surface, despite all the physical forces conspiring to remove them. If the three sister planets are primary colors, red, yellow, and blue, this planet-ish rock is a secondary color. It is the mysterious orange moon of Saturn named Titan. 

Titan orbits Saturn, so from its surface, the sun is smaller than a dime. Not that you d be able to see it anyway, because a dark orange haze obscures everything. Titan is just a little smaller than Mars, but it is abnormally big for its family. It is 20 times the size of all the other moons of Saturn combined, and about the same size as Jupiter s four big moons. Unlike those, it has retained an atmosphere, and beneath that, it has exotic oceans as liquid as our seven seas. 

During recent studies of the upper atmosphere of Titan - the largest moon of Saturn - the Cassani spacecraft detected numerous carbocationic species. In particular, mass spectrum studies detected significant quantities of cyclopropenium cation (35) and its methylated analogs. The formation of these ions has been studied and a mechanism... 

Table 4.2 Some impoitant parameters of the largest moons of Saturn...

Enceladus is the sixth-largest moon of Saturn (also called Saturn II). Its diameter is about 500 km and its semi-major axis 238 000 km. Therefore, its orbital period is rather short, 1.37 days. The mean density is 1.6 g/cm. Again the surface can be... 

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