[followerofchrist]

I know where the methane comes from. Space alien cows farting on Titan! The smog? Little alien people driving around in SUV's.

[cyborg]

Dang you said it before me *lol*

[ovrtaxt]

Actually, it comes from Uranus.

[spodefly]

Titan is the first moon other than the Earth's to be explored, and David Southwood, ESA's director of science programs, reflected Europe's pride in the accomplishment. "Hello America, we're in the exploration business, too," Southwood told reporters.

Did the stingy Americans not lend any assistance to this effort?

[PeoplesRepublicOfWashington]

Titan must have a terrible global warming problem, as methane is a powerful greenhouse gas.

[aomagrat]

If the probe developes an electrical short and starts sparking, could it turn Titan into a fireball?

[Fiddlstix]

I know where the methane comes from. Space alien cows farting on Titan! The smog? Little alien people driving around in SUV's.

Dang it all. I was going to say that. J

[Caipirabob]

Methane Gas, River Beds Found on Titan

At least we know where Michael Moore came from.

[norwaypinesavage]

"Where does the methane come from?"

Obviously, it's from decaying dinasours and ferns, like it is here on earth. It couldn't come from anything else, could it?

[FReepaholic]

..."Hello America, we're in the exploration business, too," Southwood told reporters...

Hello Southwood, you couldn't have got there without the US built Cassini spacecraft!

[solitas]

So, aside from the "discovery" that it's cold enough somewhere for gases to run freely on the surface in liquid form (if it is indeed methane - what other gases are liquid at that temperature?) what kind of return-on-investment does Earth get? (The same could be asked about water on Mars too.)

[American_Centurion]

It has to be continually renewed...

So does this mean Hydrocarbons really are renewable energy. This is really going to piss off the watermelons.

[SolutionsOnly]

I have to assume it's 'No Smoking' moon by default, then .

[DannyTN]

"There must be some source of methane inside Titan which is releasing the gas into the atmosphere. It has to be continually renewed, otherwise it would have all disappeared," Owen said."

I've wondered about this. On Mars, just trace amounts of methane were hailed as a possible indicator of life. But here on Titan, oceans of methane are thought normal. but this guy says it has to be renewed? That seems strange to have whole oceans that must be renewed. Are they sure methane would escape? How does Titan compare to Mars in mass? Would it be better at retaining methane?