Saturn's moon Titan has dunes

Posted on Sunday, May 07 2006 @ 5:08 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck
The latest images of NASA's Cassini probe reveal Titan, Saturn's largest moon, has seas of sand, complete with Earth-like dunes.
The dunes are up to 150 meters (500 feet) tall and hundreds of kilometers long, dominating large areas of Titan's surface near the equator.

They are long, linear dunes similar to a type commonly seen in Namibia (see map), the Sahara, parts of Australia, and the Arabian Peninsula.

The discovery was surprising, says Ralph Lorenz, a researcher with the Lunar and Planetary Lab based at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
According to scientists these dunes are mainly caused by tidal winds. More details at NGC.


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Thomas De Maesschalck

Thomas has been messing with computer since early childhood and firmly believes the Internet is the best thing since sliced bread. Enjoys playing with new tech, is fascinated by science, and passionate about financial markets. When not behind a computer, he can be found with running shoes on or lifting heavy weights in the weight room.



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