Titanic Paving Project
Scientists are astounded by the number of impact craters they have found on the largest moon of the planet Saturn. The Cassini probe has finished mapping by radar of about 10% of the surface of Titan.
And there aren't any craters to speak of.
Only three have been confirmed so far. With about twice that number of suspected craters that they are working to confirm. But all the other real estate in the solar system is heavily pockmarked with craters. Why is Titan so smooth? Scientists are suspecting that it may be a cosmic paving project that essentially fills in the holes rather rapidly after they are formed.
The trio of impact craters confirmed to date are named Menrva, Sinlap and Ksa and have diameters of 273 miles (440 kilometers), 50 miles (80 kilometers) and 17 miles (28 kilometers), respectively.
Titan’s thick nitrogen atmosphere hinders the formation of impact craters less than about 12 miles (20 kilometers) in diameter, because smaller space rocks burn up before they reach the surface. This is one reason the shrouded moon’s crater count is so modest.
As Cassini continues to map up to 30 percent of Titan’s surface at radar wavelengths the crater tally is set to grow.
“We've seen three craters on 10 percent of the surface, so we will probably find another 10 to 30. Maybe there are 30-100 in total, although we will need a follow-on mission to Titan to find and document them all,” Lorenz told SPACE.com.
Still, researchers consider the surface nearly pothole free when it should be on the road to ruin. Something yet to be determined must be keeping the crater count down.
Buried
Clues to Titan’s smooth finish can be seen in the presence of vast tracts of sand dunes, river channels and evidence for cryovolcanism visible in Cassini images.
It is likely that a combination of burial in sand, erosion by methane or obliteration by the cold hand of cryovolcanism is responsible for paving over the craters. Cassini has already spotted vague circular features among Titan’s sand dunes that may be evidence of craters undergoing burial.
Pinning down the rate of crater removal will be an important factor in dating the age of Titan’s surface features, including those craters that have survived.
”We have no way of knowing how recent the known craters are, although Menrva is old enough that it has a fairly eroded rim, cut by river channels,” Lorenz said.
Whoever is running that paving company up there could make a fortune here on earth. Just think of it: no more roadwork that goes on for generations! No more orange and white striped barrels or flashing signs. This could be huge if we unlock the secret!
By Bleepless, Monday, 26 March , 2007 @ 5:43 pm
Actually, they get grabbed and eaten just before they strike. Some actually hit because Bzzqrqpovffff was taking a nap, the lazy mnmmb.