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Published Online October 2, 2003
Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1090464

Perspectives

Submitted on August 14, 2003
Accepted on September 26, 2003

The Glitter of Distant Seas

Ralph Lorenz 1*

1 Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: rlorenz{at}lpl.arizona.edu.

It has long been known that Saturn's largest moon, Titan, has a thick nitrogen atmosphere, which obscures the underlying surface. In his Perspective, Lorenz highlights the report by Campbell et al., who have used the giant Arecibo and Green Bank radio telescopes as a radar to probe Titan's hidden surface. The surface appears to be distinct from those of the icy satellites of Jupiter, in both brightness and polarization. The new data show sharp spikes in the reflected microwave spectrum, indicating large, smooth areas of radar-dark material. These features suggest the widespread existence of lakes or seas of liquid hydrocarbons on Titan.




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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)