Tag: formaldehyde

Surface Science from Philae – Finally!

ryanLeave a comment
A few weeks back, the Philae lander woke up and began transmitting the coveted science data it had been holding on to for the better part of 2015, waiting for the Sun to shine bright enough to wake it from its deep slumber.  As soon as it was able, it transmitted data back to the Rosetta orbiter, which then sent it on its long journey back home to Earth. Now that a few weeks have passed, we can finally see what the first science from the surface of 67P looks like, and determine its true fate. We can clearly see a...

Enceladus has Hydrothermal Activity Beneath a Liquid Ocean

ryan2 Comments
Some of the moons of gas giant planets have a unique property: They are worlds that have a source of heat other than the Sun.  The huge tidal forces imparted by their host planet and fellow moons cause their crust to grow and shrink, creating huge friction and heating the rock.  It means that even if these moons are far from the warmth of the Sun, they can still host liquid water.  There are two moons in our own solar system that are especially enticing: Jupiter’s second moon Europa, and the icy moon of Saturn known as Enceladus.  Each host...