Extraterrestrial lakes

At present the surface of the planet Mars is too cold and has too little atmospheric pressure to permit the pooling of liquid water on the surface. Geologic evidence appears to confirm, however, that ancient lakes once formed on the surface. It is also possible that volcanic activity on Mars will occasionally melt subsurface ice, creating large lakes. Under current conditions this water would quickly freeze and sublimate unless insulated in some manner, such as by a coating of volcanic ash.

Only one world other than Earth is known to harbor lakes, Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. Photographs and spectroscopic analysis by the Cassini–Huygens spacecraft show liquid ethane on the surface, which is thought to be mixed with liquid methane.

Jupiter’s small moon Io is volcanically active due to tidal stresses, and as a result sulfur deposits have accumulated on the surface. Some photographs taken during the Galileo mission appear to show lakes of liquid sulfur on the surface.There are dark basaltic plains on the Moon, similar to lunar maria but smaller, that are called lacus (singular lacus, Latin for “lake”) because they were thought by early astronomers to be lakes of water.

Source:Wikipedia

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flyingcuttlefish's avatarflying cuttlefish picayune

Is it snowy fog meets radiation? Never seen before on the LIVE CAM

screen shot from 6:53 a.m. EST –

Fuk_1_14_2013

CLICK ON IMAGE FOR FULL SIZE

at 8:30 a.m. EST:

Fuk_1_14_2013b

a little later it dies down . . .

Fuk_1_14_2013c

(on the full size version the time-stamp is visible at the top)

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Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment