Icy Science e-magazine is a free Astronomy, Science & Space digital magazine. In this edition we look at Saturn and two of its moons, Enceladus an icy world with a possible large body of liquid water under its susrface and Titan where a liquid flows on its surace. We look at evolution and gravitational waves.
Saturn is a strange world it has no solid surface and its atmosphere bleeds into a liquid body The planet
is primarily made of Hydrogen and Helium Making up the rest is water ammonia and methane ices
Saturnrsquos clouds are composed of Hydrogen and Helium Gases with Methane Ammonia and Water ice
crystals When you dive deeper into the planet the clouds become denser and pressure mounts Eventually
you will find yourself in a molecular hydrogen liquid It is possible this liquid surrounds a rocky hot core
Conductive layers around the core are thought to produce Saturnrsquos magnetic field
Images Above Wikipedia Bottom NASA Opposite D Bood
Saturn Facts
Saturn radiates 79 more energy than it receives from the sun
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A Day on SaturnIt is complicated to determine a Saturn day after all the entire
planet is a ball of gas with no land features to mark a point and time
how long that point makes a full revolution The different layers
observed rotate at different speeds
Astronomers have devised a system to look at the different areas
rotation It is called System 1 2 and 3
However a day on Saturn is roughly just over 10 hours
What is interesting is that both Saturn and Jupiter are still evolv-
ing they are still settling in gravitational terms This means they are
contracting which in turn created internal heat Saturn radiates 3
times more heat than it receives from the sun
The RingsSaturnrsquos rings can be seen with a small telescope however larger
telescopes give you more detail The rings are amazing to see With
a smaller telescope the rings appear more as one ring larger scopes
you can make out in more detail individual rings
The rings have been identified and labelled in order of discovery
and using a simple identification system (ABC to G)
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The rings are mainly composed of water ice they range
from small particles to larger lumps Some of the material
in the ring is rocky however this is mainly trace elements
Other planets have ring systems however Saturnrsquos are
the most stunning
We have found the rings vary in density and there are
gaps in the system we have also discovered moons
embedded into the system
How were they formed
There are two main theories on how the rings were
formed One theory is that a moon moved inwards during
its orbit the tidal forces of Saturn ripped the moon apart
and created the ring system
Theory two is that the ring system are the remains
or left overrsquos from nebular material from which
Saturn was formed Other theories include a
moon collision
The densest parts of the ring system are the A
and B rings There is a gap in between the rings
called the Cassini division This was discovered by
Giovann Doenico Cassini in 1675 The C ring which
makes up the main three rings was discovered
in 1850 The main rings contain larger particles
The other rings DEFG can be described as dusty rings and are not as dense as the main three
D ring inner most very faint
C ring wide and faint
B ring largest and brightest of the rings
A ring outer most of the large bright rings its inner boundary is the Cassini division
F outer most ring and the most active Its features change hourly
JanusEpimetheus ring faint dusty ring the moons Janus and Epimetheus orbit in this ring Material in this
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ring is ejected material from the moons this would have been caused by impacts
G ring very thin ring and faint positioned half way in between the F and the beginning of the E ring its inner
edges is in the orbit of the moon Mimas
Methone Ring Arc faint ring discovered in September 2006 the moon Methone orbits within this ring
Anthe ring faint ring discovered in 2007
Pallene ring a faint dust ring
E ring second most outer ring and is very wide It starts at the orbit of Mimas and ends a Rhea It consist of
ices silicates carbon dioxide and ammonia The particles are mainly microscopic
Phoebe Ring in Oct 2009 the rings discovery was announced it is just in the orbital plane of the moon phoebe
Saturnrsquos Moons
Both Jupiter and Saturn are like mini solar systems both
have a wide ranging array of moons From oddly shaped
rocky moons to moons frozen and covered in ice and a
strange moon with its own atmosphere
Some of Saturnrsquos moons or moonlets are no more than a
1 Km across however Saturn does have the solar systems
second largest moon Titan
Saturn hosts two moons of particular interest Titan as
mentioned before and the icy world of Enceladus What
is interesting about Enceladus is that a Liquid spews from
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
Saturn is a strange world it has no solid surface and its atmosphere bleeds into a liquid body The planet
is primarily made of Hydrogen and Helium Making up the rest is water ammonia and methane ices
Saturnrsquos clouds are composed of Hydrogen and Helium Gases with Methane Ammonia and Water ice
crystals When you dive deeper into the planet the clouds become denser and pressure mounts Eventually
you will find yourself in a molecular hydrogen liquid It is possible this liquid surrounds a rocky hot core
Conductive layers around the core are thought to produce Saturnrsquos magnetic field
Images Above Wikipedia Bottom NASA Opposite D Bood
Saturn Facts
Saturn radiates 79 more energy than it receives from the sun
23
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
24
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A Day on SaturnIt is complicated to determine a Saturn day after all the entire
planet is a ball of gas with no land features to mark a point and time
how long that point makes a full revolution The different layers
observed rotate at different speeds
Astronomers have devised a system to look at the different areas
rotation It is called System 1 2 and 3
However a day on Saturn is roughly just over 10 hours
What is interesting is that both Saturn and Jupiter are still evolv-
ing they are still settling in gravitational terms This means they are
contracting which in turn created internal heat Saturn radiates 3
times more heat than it receives from the sun
The RingsSaturnrsquos rings can be seen with a small telescope however larger
telescopes give you more detail The rings are amazing to see With
a smaller telescope the rings appear more as one ring larger scopes
you can make out in more detail individual rings
The rings have been identified and labelled in order of discovery
and using a simple identification system (ABC to G)
25
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
26
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The rings are mainly composed of water ice they range
from small particles to larger lumps Some of the material
in the ring is rocky however this is mainly trace elements
Other planets have ring systems however Saturnrsquos are
the most stunning
We have found the rings vary in density and there are
gaps in the system we have also discovered moons
embedded into the system
How were they formed
There are two main theories on how the rings were
formed One theory is that a moon moved inwards during
its orbit the tidal forces of Saturn ripped the moon apart
and created the ring system
Theory two is that the ring system are the remains
or left overrsquos from nebular material from which
Saturn was formed Other theories include a
moon collision
The densest parts of the ring system are the A
and B rings There is a gap in between the rings
called the Cassini division This was discovered by
Giovann Doenico Cassini in 1675 The C ring which
makes up the main three rings was discovered
in 1850 The main rings contain larger particles
The other rings DEFG can be described as dusty rings and are not as dense as the main three
D ring inner most very faint
C ring wide and faint
B ring largest and brightest of the rings
A ring outer most of the large bright rings its inner boundary is the Cassini division
F outer most ring and the most active Its features change hourly
JanusEpimetheus ring faint dusty ring the moons Janus and Epimetheus orbit in this ring Material in this
27
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
28
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ring is ejected material from the moons this would have been caused by impacts
G ring very thin ring and faint positioned half way in between the F and the beginning of the E ring its inner
edges is in the orbit of the moon Mimas
Methone Ring Arc faint ring discovered in September 2006 the moon Methone orbits within this ring
Anthe ring faint ring discovered in 2007
Pallene ring a faint dust ring
E ring second most outer ring and is very wide It starts at the orbit of Mimas and ends a Rhea It consist of
ices silicates carbon dioxide and ammonia The particles are mainly microscopic
Phoebe Ring in Oct 2009 the rings discovery was announced it is just in the orbital plane of the moon phoebe
Saturnrsquos Moons
Both Jupiter and Saturn are like mini solar systems both
have a wide ranging array of moons From oddly shaped
rocky moons to moons frozen and covered in ice and a
strange moon with its own atmosphere
Some of Saturnrsquos moons or moonlets are no more than a
1 Km across however Saturn does have the solar systems
second largest moon Titan
Saturn hosts two moons of particular interest Titan as
mentioned before and the icy world of Enceladus What
is interesting about Enceladus is that a Liquid spews from
29
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
30
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
Saturn is a strange world it has no solid surface and its atmosphere bleeds into a liquid body The planet
is primarily made of Hydrogen and Helium Making up the rest is water ammonia and methane ices
Saturnrsquos clouds are composed of Hydrogen and Helium Gases with Methane Ammonia and Water ice
crystals When you dive deeper into the planet the clouds become denser and pressure mounts Eventually
you will find yourself in a molecular hydrogen liquid It is possible this liquid surrounds a rocky hot core
Conductive layers around the core are thought to produce Saturnrsquos magnetic field
Images Above Wikipedia Bottom NASA Opposite D Bood
Saturn Facts
Saturn radiates 79 more energy than it receives from the sun
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A Day on SaturnIt is complicated to determine a Saturn day after all the entire
planet is a ball of gas with no land features to mark a point and time
how long that point makes a full revolution The different layers
observed rotate at different speeds
Astronomers have devised a system to look at the different areas
rotation It is called System 1 2 and 3
However a day on Saturn is roughly just over 10 hours
What is interesting is that both Saturn and Jupiter are still evolv-
ing they are still settling in gravitational terms This means they are
contracting which in turn created internal heat Saturn radiates 3
times more heat than it receives from the sun
The RingsSaturnrsquos rings can be seen with a small telescope however larger
telescopes give you more detail The rings are amazing to see With
a smaller telescope the rings appear more as one ring larger scopes
you can make out in more detail individual rings
The rings have been identified and labelled in order of discovery
and using a simple identification system (ABC to G)
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The rings are mainly composed of water ice they range
from small particles to larger lumps Some of the material
in the ring is rocky however this is mainly trace elements
Other planets have ring systems however Saturnrsquos are
the most stunning
We have found the rings vary in density and there are
gaps in the system we have also discovered moons
embedded into the system
How were they formed
There are two main theories on how the rings were
formed One theory is that a moon moved inwards during
its orbit the tidal forces of Saturn ripped the moon apart
and created the ring system
Theory two is that the ring system are the remains
or left overrsquos from nebular material from which
Saturn was formed Other theories include a
moon collision
The densest parts of the ring system are the A
and B rings There is a gap in between the rings
called the Cassini division This was discovered by
Giovann Doenico Cassini in 1675 The C ring which
makes up the main three rings was discovered
in 1850 The main rings contain larger particles
The other rings DEFG can be described as dusty rings and are not as dense as the main three
D ring inner most very faint
C ring wide and faint
B ring largest and brightest of the rings
A ring outer most of the large bright rings its inner boundary is the Cassini division
F outer most ring and the most active Its features change hourly
JanusEpimetheus ring faint dusty ring the moons Janus and Epimetheus orbit in this ring Material in this
27
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ring is ejected material from the moons this would have been caused by impacts
G ring very thin ring and faint positioned half way in between the F and the beginning of the E ring its inner
edges is in the orbit of the moon Mimas
Methone Ring Arc faint ring discovered in September 2006 the moon Methone orbits within this ring
Anthe ring faint ring discovered in 2007
Pallene ring a faint dust ring
E ring second most outer ring and is very wide It starts at the orbit of Mimas and ends a Rhea It consist of
ices silicates carbon dioxide and ammonia The particles are mainly microscopic
Phoebe Ring in Oct 2009 the rings discovery was announced it is just in the orbital plane of the moon phoebe
Saturnrsquos Moons
Both Jupiter and Saturn are like mini solar systems both
have a wide ranging array of moons From oddly shaped
rocky moons to moons frozen and covered in ice and a
strange moon with its own atmosphere
Some of Saturnrsquos moons or moonlets are no more than a
1 Km across however Saturn does have the solar systems
second largest moon Titan
Saturn hosts two moons of particular interest Titan as
mentioned before and the icy world of Enceladus What
is interesting about Enceladus is that a Liquid spews from
29
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
30
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
Saturn is a strange world it has no solid surface and its atmosphere bleeds into a liquid body The planet
is primarily made of Hydrogen and Helium Making up the rest is water ammonia and methane ices
Saturnrsquos clouds are composed of Hydrogen and Helium Gases with Methane Ammonia and Water ice
crystals When you dive deeper into the planet the clouds become denser and pressure mounts Eventually
you will find yourself in a molecular hydrogen liquid It is possible this liquid surrounds a rocky hot core
Conductive layers around the core are thought to produce Saturnrsquos magnetic field
Images Above Wikipedia Bottom NASA Opposite D Bood
Saturn Facts
Saturn radiates 79 more energy than it receives from the sun
23
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
24
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A Day on SaturnIt is complicated to determine a Saturn day after all the entire
planet is a ball of gas with no land features to mark a point and time
how long that point makes a full revolution The different layers
observed rotate at different speeds
Astronomers have devised a system to look at the different areas
rotation It is called System 1 2 and 3
However a day on Saturn is roughly just over 10 hours
What is interesting is that both Saturn and Jupiter are still evolv-
ing they are still settling in gravitational terms This means they are
contracting which in turn created internal heat Saturn radiates 3
times more heat than it receives from the sun
The RingsSaturnrsquos rings can be seen with a small telescope however larger
telescopes give you more detail The rings are amazing to see With
a smaller telescope the rings appear more as one ring larger scopes
you can make out in more detail individual rings
The rings have been identified and labelled in order of discovery
and using a simple identification system (ABC to G)
25
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
26
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The rings are mainly composed of water ice they range
from small particles to larger lumps Some of the material
in the ring is rocky however this is mainly trace elements
Other planets have ring systems however Saturnrsquos are
the most stunning
We have found the rings vary in density and there are
gaps in the system we have also discovered moons
embedded into the system
How were they formed
There are two main theories on how the rings were
formed One theory is that a moon moved inwards during
its orbit the tidal forces of Saturn ripped the moon apart
and created the ring system
Theory two is that the ring system are the remains
or left overrsquos from nebular material from which
Saturn was formed Other theories include a
moon collision
The densest parts of the ring system are the A
and B rings There is a gap in between the rings
called the Cassini division This was discovered by
Giovann Doenico Cassini in 1675 The C ring which
makes up the main three rings was discovered
in 1850 The main rings contain larger particles
The other rings DEFG can be described as dusty rings and are not as dense as the main three
D ring inner most very faint
C ring wide and faint
B ring largest and brightest of the rings
A ring outer most of the large bright rings its inner boundary is the Cassini division
F outer most ring and the most active Its features change hourly
JanusEpimetheus ring faint dusty ring the moons Janus and Epimetheus orbit in this ring Material in this
27
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
28
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ring is ejected material from the moons this would have been caused by impacts
G ring very thin ring and faint positioned half way in between the F and the beginning of the E ring its inner
edges is in the orbit of the moon Mimas
Methone Ring Arc faint ring discovered in September 2006 the moon Methone orbits within this ring
Anthe ring faint ring discovered in 2007
Pallene ring a faint dust ring
E ring second most outer ring and is very wide It starts at the orbit of Mimas and ends a Rhea It consist of
ices silicates carbon dioxide and ammonia The particles are mainly microscopic
Phoebe Ring in Oct 2009 the rings discovery was announced it is just in the orbital plane of the moon phoebe
Saturnrsquos Moons
Both Jupiter and Saturn are like mini solar systems both
have a wide ranging array of moons From oddly shaped
rocky moons to moons frozen and covered in ice and a
strange moon with its own atmosphere
Some of Saturnrsquos moons or moonlets are no more than a
1 Km across however Saturn does have the solar systems
second largest moon Titan
Saturn hosts two moons of particular interest Titan as
mentioned before and the icy world of Enceladus What
is interesting about Enceladus is that a Liquid spews from
29
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
30
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
Saturn is a strange world it has no solid surface and its atmosphere bleeds into a liquid body The planet
is primarily made of Hydrogen and Helium Making up the rest is water ammonia and methane ices
Saturnrsquos clouds are composed of Hydrogen and Helium Gases with Methane Ammonia and Water ice
crystals When you dive deeper into the planet the clouds become denser and pressure mounts Eventually
you will find yourself in a molecular hydrogen liquid It is possible this liquid surrounds a rocky hot core
Conductive layers around the core are thought to produce Saturnrsquos magnetic field
Images Above Wikipedia Bottom NASA Opposite D Bood
Saturn Facts
Saturn radiates 79 more energy than it receives from the sun
23
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
24
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A Day on SaturnIt is complicated to determine a Saturn day after all the entire
planet is a ball of gas with no land features to mark a point and time
how long that point makes a full revolution The different layers
observed rotate at different speeds
Astronomers have devised a system to look at the different areas
rotation It is called System 1 2 and 3
However a day on Saturn is roughly just over 10 hours
What is interesting is that both Saturn and Jupiter are still evolv-
ing they are still settling in gravitational terms This means they are
contracting which in turn created internal heat Saturn radiates 3
times more heat than it receives from the sun
The RingsSaturnrsquos rings can be seen with a small telescope however larger
telescopes give you more detail The rings are amazing to see With
a smaller telescope the rings appear more as one ring larger scopes
you can make out in more detail individual rings
The rings have been identified and labelled in order of discovery
and using a simple identification system (ABC to G)
25
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
26
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The rings are mainly composed of water ice they range
from small particles to larger lumps Some of the material
in the ring is rocky however this is mainly trace elements
Other planets have ring systems however Saturnrsquos are
the most stunning
We have found the rings vary in density and there are
gaps in the system we have also discovered moons
embedded into the system
How were they formed
There are two main theories on how the rings were
formed One theory is that a moon moved inwards during
its orbit the tidal forces of Saturn ripped the moon apart
and created the ring system
Theory two is that the ring system are the remains
or left overrsquos from nebular material from which
Saturn was formed Other theories include a
moon collision
The densest parts of the ring system are the A
and B rings There is a gap in between the rings
called the Cassini division This was discovered by
Giovann Doenico Cassini in 1675 The C ring which
makes up the main three rings was discovered
in 1850 The main rings contain larger particles
The other rings DEFG can be described as dusty rings and are not as dense as the main three
D ring inner most very faint
C ring wide and faint
B ring largest and brightest of the rings
A ring outer most of the large bright rings its inner boundary is the Cassini division
F outer most ring and the most active Its features change hourly
JanusEpimetheus ring faint dusty ring the moons Janus and Epimetheus orbit in this ring Material in this
27
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
28
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ring is ejected material from the moons this would have been caused by impacts
G ring very thin ring and faint positioned half way in between the F and the beginning of the E ring its inner
edges is in the orbit of the moon Mimas
Methone Ring Arc faint ring discovered in September 2006 the moon Methone orbits within this ring
Anthe ring faint ring discovered in 2007
Pallene ring a faint dust ring
E ring second most outer ring and is very wide It starts at the orbit of Mimas and ends a Rhea It consist of
ices silicates carbon dioxide and ammonia The particles are mainly microscopic
Phoebe Ring in Oct 2009 the rings discovery was announced it is just in the orbital plane of the moon phoebe
Saturnrsquos Moons
Both Jupiter and Saturn are like mini solar systems both
have a wide ranging array of moons From oddly shaped
rocky moons to moons frozen and covered in ice and a
strange moon with its own atmosphere
Some of Saturnrsquos moons or moonlets are no more than a
1 Km across however Saturn does have the solar systems
second largest moon Titan
Saturn hosts two moons of particular interest Titan as
mentioned before and the icy world of Enceladus What
is interesting about Enceladus is that a Liquid spews from
29
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
30
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
Saturn is a strange world it has no solid surface and its atmosphere bleeds into a liquid body The planet
is primarily made of Hydrogen and Helium Making up the rest is water ammonia and methane ices
Saturnrsquos clouds are composed of Hydrogen and Helium Gases with Methane Ammonia and Water ice
crystals When you dive deeper into the planet the clouds become denser and pressure mounts Eventually
you will find yourself in a molecular hydrogen liquid It is possible this liquid surrounds a rocky hot core
Conductive layers around the core are thought to produce Saturnrsquos magnetic field
Images Above Wikipedia Bottom NASA Opposite D Bood
Saturn Facts
Saturn radiates 79 more energy than it receives from the sun
23
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
24
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A Day on SaturnIt is complicated to determine a Saturn day after all the entire
planet is a ball of gas with no land features to mark a point and time
how long that point makes a full revolution The different layers
observed rotate at different speeds
Astronomers have devised a system to look at the different areas
rotation It is called System 1 2 and 3
However a day on Saturn is roughly just over 10 hours
What is interesting is that both Saturn and Jupiter are still evolv-
ing they are still settling in gravitational terms This means they are
contracting which in turn created internal heat Saturn radiates 3
times more heat than it receives from the sun
The RingsSaturnrsquos rings can be seen with a small telescope however larger
telescopes give you more detail The rings are amazing to see With
a smaller telescope the rings appear more as one ring larger scopes
you can make out in more detail individual rings
The rings have been identified and labelled in order of discovery
and using a simple identification system (ABC to G)
25
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
26
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The rings are mainly composed of water ice they range
from small particles to larger lumps Some of the material
in the ring is rocky however this is mainly trace elements
Other planets have ring systems however Saturnrsquos are
the most stunning
We have found the rings vary in density and there are
gaps in the system we have also discovered moons
embedded into the system
How were they formed
There are two main theories on how the rings were
formed One theory is that a moon moved inwards during
its orbit the tidal forces of Saturn ripped the moon apart
and created the ring system
Theory two is that the ring system are the remains
or left overrsquos from nebular material from which
Saturn was formed Other theories include a
moon collision
The densest parts of the ring system are the A
and B rings There is a gap in between the rings
called the Cassini division This was discovered by
Giovann Doenico Cassini in 1675 The C ring which
makes up the main three rings was discovered
in 1850 The main rings contain larger particles
The other rings DEFG can be described as dusty rings and are not as dense as the main three
D ring inner most very faint
C ring wide and faint
B ring largest and brightest of the rings
A ring outer most of the large bright rings its inner boundary is the Cassini division
F outer most ring and the most active Its features change hourly
JanusEpimetheus ring faint dusty ring the moons Janus and Epimetheus orbit in this ring Material in this
27
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
28
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ring is ejected material from the moons this would have been caused by impacts
G ring very thin ring and faint positioned half way in between the F and the beginning of the E ring its inner
edges is in the orbit of the moon Mimas
Methone Ring Arc faint ring discovered in September 2006 the moon Methone orbits within this ring
Anthe ring faint ring discovered in 2007
Pallene ring a faint dust ring
E ring second most outer ring and is very wide It starts at the orbit of Mimas and ends a Rhea It consist of
ices silicates carbon dioxide and ammonia The particles are mainly microscopic
Phoebe Ring in Oct 2009 the rings discovery was announced it is just in the orbital plane of the moon phoebe
Saturnrsquos Moons
Both Jupiter and Saturn are like mini solar systems both
have a wide ranging array of moons From oddly shaped
rocky moons to moons frozen and covered in ice and a
strange moon with its own atmosphere
Some of Saturnrsquos moons or moonlets are no more than a
1 Km across however Saturn does have the solar systems
second largest moon Titan
Saturn hosts two moons of particular interest Titan as
mentioned before and the icy world of Enceladus What
is interesting about Enceladus is that a Liquid spews from
29
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
30
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
Saturn is a strange world it has no solid surface and its atmosphere bleeds into a liquid body The planet
is primarily made of Hydrogen and Helium Making up the rest is water ammonia and methane ices
Saturnrsquos clouds are composed of Hydrogen and Helium Gases with Methane Ammonia and Water ice
crystals When you dive deeper into the planet the clouds become denser and pressure mounts Eventually
you will find yourself in a molecular hydrogen liquid It is possible this liquid surrounds a rocky hot core
Conductive layers around the core are thought to produce Saturnrsquos magnetic field
Images Above Wikipedia Bottom NASA Opposite D Bood
Saturn Facts
Saturn radiates 79 more energy than it receives from the sun
23
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
24
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A Day on SaturnIt is complicated to determine a Saturn day after all the entire
planet is a ball of gas with no land features to mark a point and time
how long that point makes a full revolution The different layers
observed rotate at different speeds
Astronomers have devised a system to look at the different areas
rotation It is called System 1 2 and 3
However a day on Saturn is roughly just over 10 hours
What is interesting is that both Saturn and Jupiter are still evolv-
ing they are still settling in gravitational terms This means they are
contracting which in turn created internal heat Saturn radiates 3
times more heat than it receives from the sun
The RingsSaturnrsquos rings can be seen with a small telescope however larger
telescopes give you more detail The rings are amazing to see With
a smaller telescope the rings appear more as one ring larger scopes
you can make out in more detail individual rings
The rings have been identified and labelled in order of discovery
and using a simple identification system (ABC to G)
25
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The rings are mainly composed of water ice they range
from small particles to larger lumps Some of the material
in the ring is rocky however this is mainly trace elements
Other planets have ring systems however Saturnrsquos are
the most stunning
We have found the rings vary in density and there are
gaps in the system we have also discovered moons
embedded into the system
How were they formed
There are two main theories on how the rings were
formed One theory is that a moon moved inwards during
its orbit the tidal forces of Saturn ripped the moon apart
and created the ring system
Theory two is that the ring system are the remains
or left overrsquos from nebular material from which
Saturn was formed Other theories include a
moon collision
The densest parts of the ring system are the A
and B rings There is a gap in between the rings
called the Cassini division This was discovered by
Giovann Doenico Cassini in 1675 The C ring which
makes up the main three rings was discovered
in 1850 The main rings contain larger particles
The other rings DEFG can be described as dusty rings and are not as dense as the main three
D ring inner most very faint
C ring wide and faint
B ring largest and brightest of the rings
A ring outer most of the large bright rings its inner boundary is the Cassini division
F outer most ring and the most active Its features change hourly
JanusEpimetheus ring faint dusty ring the moons Janus and Epimetheus orbit in this ring Material in this
27
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ring is ejected material from the moons this would have been caused by impacts
G ring very thin ring and faint positioned half way in between the F and the beginning of the E ring its inner
edges is in the orbit of the moon Mimas
Methone Ring Arc faint ring discovered in September 2006 the moon Methone orbits within this ring
Anthe ring faint ring discovered in 2007
Pallene ring a faint dust ring
E ring second most outer ring and is very wide It starts at the orbit of Mimas and ends a Rhea It consist of
ices silicates carbon dioxide and ammonia The particles are mainly microscopic
Phoebe Ring in Oct 2009 the rings discovery was announced it is just in the orbital plane of the moon phoebe
Saturnrsquos Moons
Both Jupiter and Saturn are like mini solar systems both
have a wide ranging array of moons From oddly shaped
rocky moons to moons frozen and covered in ice and a
strange moon with its own atmosphere
Some of Saturnrsquos moons or moonlets are no more than a
1 Km across however Saturn does have the solar systems
second largest moon Titan
Saturn hosts two moons of particular interest Titan as
mentioned before and the icy world of Enceladus What
is interesting about Enceladus is that a Liquid spews from
29
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
30
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
Saturn is a strange world it has no solid surface and its atmosphere bleeds into a liquid body The planet
is primarily made of Hydrogen and Helium Making up the rest is water ammonia and methane ices
Saturnrsquos clouds are composed of Hydrogen and Helium Gases with Methane Ammonia and Water ice
crystals When you dive deeper into the planet the clouds become denser and pressure mounts Eventually
you will find yourself in a molecular hydrogen liquid It is possible this liquid surrounds a rocky hot core
Conductive layers around the core are thought to produce Saturnrsquos magnetic field
Images Above Wikipedia Bottom NASA Opposite D Bood
Saturn Facts
Saturn radiates 79 more energy than it receives from the sun
23
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
24
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A Day on SaturnIt is complicated to determine a Saturn day after all the entire
planet is a ball of gas with no land features to mark a point and time
how long that point makes a full revolution The different layers
observed rotate at different speeds
Astronomers have devised a system to look at the different areas
rotation It is called System 1 2 and 3
However a day on Saturn is roughly just over 10 hours
What is interesting is that both Saturn and Jupiter are still evolv-
ing they are still settling in gravitational terms This means they are
contracting which in turn created internal heat Saturn radiates 3
times more heat than it receives from the sun
The RingsSaturnrsquos rings can be seen with a small telescope however larger
telescopes give you more detail The rings are amazing to see With
a smaller telescope the rings appear more as one ring larger scopes
you can make out in more detail individual rings
The rings have been identified and labelled in order of discovery
and using a simple identification system (ABC to G)
25
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
26
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The rings are mainly composed of water ice they range
from small particles to larger lumps Some of the material
in the ring is rocky however this is mainly trace elements
Other planets have ring systems however Saturnrsquos are
the most stunning
We have found the rings vary in density and there are
gaps in the system we have also discovered moons
embedded into the system
How were they formed
There are two main theories on how the rings were
formed One theory is that a moon moved inwards during
its orbit the tidal forces of Saturn ripped the moon apart
and created the ring system
Theory two is that the ring system are the remains
or left overrsquos from nebular material from which
Saturn was formed Other theories include a
moon collision
The densest parts of the ring system are the A
and B rings There is a gap in between the rings
called the Cassini division This was discovered by
Giovann Doenico Cassini in 1675 The C ring which
makes up the main three rings was discovered
in 1850 The main rings contain larger particles
The other rings DEFG can be described as dusty rings and are not as dense as the main three
D ring inner most very faint
C ring wide and faint
B ring largest and brightest of the rings
A ring outer most of the large bright rings its inner boundary is the Cassini division
F outer most ring and the most active Its features change hourly
JanusEpimetheus ring faint dusty ring the moons Janus and Epimetheus orbit in this ring Material in this
27
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
28
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ring is ejected material from the moons this would have been caused by impacts
G ring very thin ring and faint positioned half way in between the F and the beginning of the E ring its inner
edges is in the orbit of the moon Mimas
Methone Ring Arc faint ring discovered in September 2006 the moon Methone orbits within this ring
Anthe ring faint ring discovered in 2007
Pallene ring a faint dust ring
E ring second most outer ring and is very wide It starts at the orbit of Mimas and ends a Rhea It consist of
ices silicates carbon dioxide and ammonia The particles are mainly microscopic
Phoebe Ring in Oct 2009 the rings discovery was announced it is just in the orbital plane of the moon phoebe
Saturnrsquos Moons
Both Jupiter and Saturn are like mini solar systems both
have a wide ranging array of moons From oddly shaped
rocky moons to moons frozen and covered in ice and a
strange moon with its own atmosphere
Some of Saturnrsquos moons or moonlets are no more than a
1 Km across however Saturn does have the solar systems
second largest moon Titan
Saturn hosts two moons of particular interest Titan as
mentioned before and the icy world of Enceladus What
is interesting about Enceladus is that a Liquid spews from
29
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
30
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
Saturn is a strange world it has no solid surface and its atmosphere bleeds into a liquid body The planet
is primarily made of Hydrogen and Helium Making up the rest is water ammonia and methane ices
Saturnrsquos clouds are composed of Hydrogen and Helium Gases with Methane Ammonia and Water ice
crystals When you dive deeper into the planet the clouds become denser and pressure mounts Eventually
you will find yourself in a molecular hydrogen liquid It is possible this liquid surrounds a rocky hot core
Conductive layers around the core are thought to produce Saturnrsquos magnetic field
Images Above Wikipedia Bottom NASA Opposite D Bood
Saturn Facts
Saturn radiates 79 more energy than it receives from the sun
23
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
24
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A Day on SaturnIt is complicated to determine a Saturn day after all the entire
planet is a ball of gas with no land features to mark a point and time
how long that point makes a full revolution The different layers
observed rotate at different speeds
Astronomers have devised a system to look at the different areas
rotation It is called System 1 2 and 3
However a day on Saturn is roughly just over 10 hours
What is interesting is that both Saturn and Jupiter are still evolv-
ing they are still settling in gravitational terms This means they are
contracting which in turn created internal heat Saturn radiates 3
times more heat than it receives from the sun
The RingsSaturnrsquos rings can be seen with a small telescope however larger
telescopes give you more detail The rings are amazing to see With
a smaller telescope the rings appear more as one ring larger scopes
you can make out in more detail individual rings
The rings have been identified and labelled in order of discovery
and using a simple identification system (ABC to G)
25
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
26
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The rings are mainly composed of water ice they range
from small particles to larger lumps Some of the material
in the ring is rocky however this is mainly trace elements
Other planets have ring systems however Saturnrsquos are
the most stunning
We have found the rings vary in density and there are
gaps in the system we have also discovered moons
embedded into the system
How were they formed
There are two main theories on how the rings were
formed One theory is that a moon moved inwards during
its orbit the tidal forces of Saturn ripped the moon apart
and created the ring system
Theory two is that the ring system are the remains
or left overrsquos from nebular material from which
Saturn was formed Other theories include a
moon collision
The densest parts of the ring system are the A
and B rings There is a gap in between the rings
called the Cassini division This was discovered by
Giovann Doenico Cassini in 1675 The C ring which
makes up the main three rings was discovered
in 1850 The main rings contain larger particles
The other rings DEFG can be described as dusty rings and are not as dense as the main three
D ring inner most very faint
C ring wide and faint
B ring largest and brightest of the rings
A ring outer most of the large bright rings its inner boundary is the Cassini division
F outer most ring and the most active Its features change hourly
JanusEpimetheus ring faint dusty ring the moons Janus and Epimetheus orbit in this ring Material in this
27
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
28
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ring is ejected material from the moons this would have been caused by impacts
G ring very thin ring and faint positioned half way in between the F and the beginning of the E ring its inner
edges is in the orbit of the moon Mimas
Methone Ring Arc faint ring discovered in September 2006 the moon Methone orbits within this ring
Anthe ring faint ring discovered in 2007
Pallene ring a faint dust ring
E ring second most outer ring and is very wide It starts at the orbit of Mimas and ends a Rhea It consist of
ices silicates carbon dioxide and ammonia The particles are mainly microscopic
Phoebe Ring in Oct 2009 the rings discovery was announced it is just in the orbital plane of the moon phoebe
Saturnrsquos Moons
Both Jupiter and Saturn are like mini solar systems both
have a wide ranging array of moons From oddly shaped
rocky moons to moons frozen and covered in ice and a
strange moon with its own atmosphere
Some of Saturnrsquos moons or moonlets are no more than a
1 Km across however Saturn does have the solar systems
second largest moon Titan
Saturn hosts two moons of particular interest Titan as
mentioned before and the icy world of Enceladus What
is interesting about Enceladus is that a Liquid spews from
29
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
30
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
Saturn is a strange world it has no solid surface and its atmosphere bleeds into a liquid body The planet
is primarily made of Hydrogen and Helium Making up the rest is water ammonia and methane ices
Saturnrsquos clouds are composed of Hydrogen and Helium Gases with Methane Ammonia and Water ice
crystals When you dive deeper into the planet the clouds become denser and pressure mounts Eventually
you will find yourself in a molecular hydrogen liquid It is possible this liquid surrounds a rocky hot core
Conductive layers around the core are thought to produce Saturnrsquos magnetic field
Images Above Wikipedia Bottom NASA Opposite D Bood
Saturn Facts
Saturn radiates 79 more energy than it receives from the sun
23
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A Day on SaturnIt is complicated to determine a Saturn day after all the entire
planet is a ball of gas with no land features to mark a point and time
how long that point makes a full revolution The different layers
observed rotate at different speeds
Astronomers have devised a system to look at the different areas
rotation It is called System 1 2 and 3
However a day on Saturn is roughly just over 10 hours
What is interesting is that both Saturn and Jupiter are still evolv-
ing they are still settling in gravitational terms This means they are
contracting which in turn created internal heat Saturn radiates 3
times more heat than it receives from the sun
The RingsSaturnrsquos rings can be seen with a small telescope however larger
telescopes give you more detail The rings are amazing to see With
a smaller telescope the rings appear more as one ring larger scopes
you can make out in more detail individual rings
The rings have been identified and labelled in order of discovery
and using a simple identification system (ABC to G)
25
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
26
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The rings are mainly composed of water ice they range
from small particles to larger lumps Some of the material
in the ring is rocky however this is mainly trace elements
Other planets have ring systems however Saturnrsquos are
the most stunning
We have found the rings vary in density and there are
gaps in the system we have also discovered moons
embedded into the system
How were they formed
There are two main theories on how the rings were
formed One theory is that a moon moved inwards during
its orbit the tidal forces of Saturn ripped the moon apart
and created the ring system
Theory two is that the ring system are the remains
or left overrsquos from nebular material from which
Saturn was formed Other theories include a
moon collision
The densest parts of the ring system are the A
and B rings There is a gap in between the rings
called the Cassini division This was discovered by
Giovann Doenico Cassini in 1675 The C ring which
makes up the main three rings was discovered
in 1850 The main rings contain larger particles
The other rings DEFG can be described as dusty rings and are not as dense as the main three
D ring inner most very faint
C ring wide and faint
B ring largest and brightest of the rings
A ring outer most of the large bright rings its inner boundary is the Cassini division
F outer most ring and the most active Its features change hourly
JanusEpimetheus ring faint dusty ring the moons Janus and Epimetheus orbit in this ring Material in this
27
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
28
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ring is ejected material from the moons this would have been caused by impacts
G ring very thin ring and faint positioned half way in between the F and the beginning of the E ring its inner
edges is in the orbit of the moon Mimas
Methone Ring Arc faint ring discovered in September 2006 the moon Methone orbits within this ring
Anthe ring faint ring discovered in 2007
Pallene ring a faint dust ring
E ring second most outer ring and is very wide It starts at the orbit of Mimas and ends a Rhea It consist of
ices silicates carbon dioxide and ammonia The particles are mainly microscopic
Phoebe Ring in Oct 2009 the rings discovery was announced it is just in the orbital plane of the moon phoebe
Saturnrsquos Moons
Both Jupiter and Saturn are like mini solar systems both
have a wide ranging array of moons From oddly shaped
rocky moons to moons frozen and covered in ice and a
strange moon with its own atmosphere
Some of Saturnrsquos moons or moonlets are no more than a
1 Km across however Saturn does have the solar systems
second largest moon Titan
Saturn hosts two moons of particular interest Titan as
mentioned before and the icy world of Enceladus What
is interesting about Enceladus is that a Liquid spews from
29
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
30
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
Saturn is a strange world it has no solid surface and its atmosphere bleeds into a liquid body The planet
is primarily made of Hydrogen and Helium Making up the rest is water ammonia and methane ices
Saturnrsquos clouds are composed of Hydrogen and Helium Gases with Methane Ammonia and Water ice
crystals When you dive deeper into the planet the clouds become denser and pressure mounts Eventually
you will find yourself in a molecular hydrogen liquid It is possible this liquid surrounds a rocky hot core
Conductive layers around the core are thought to produce Saturnrsquos magnetic field
Images Above Wikipedia Bottom NASA Opposite D Bood
Saturn Facts
Saturn radiates 79 more energy than it receives from the sun
23
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
24
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A Day on SaturnIt is complicated to determine a Saturn day after all the entire
planet is a ball of gas with no land features to mark a point and time
how long that point makes a full revolution The different layers
observed rotate at different speeds
Astronomers have devised a system to look at the different areas
rotation It is called System 1 2 and 3
However a day on Saturn is roughly just over 10 hours
What is interesting is that both Saturn and Jupiter are still evolv-
ing they are still settling in gravitational terms This means they are
contracting which in turn created internal heat Saturn radiates 3
times more heat than it receives from the sun
The RingsSaturnrsquos rings can be seen with a small telescope however larger
telescopes give you more detail The rings are amazing to see With
a smaller telescope the rings appear more as one ring larger scopes
you can make out in more detail individual rings
The rings have been identified and labelled in order of discovery
and using a simple identification system (ABC to G)
25
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
26
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The rings are mainly composed of water ice they range
from small particles to larger lumps Some of the material
in the ring is rocky however this is mainly trace elements
Other planets have ring systems however Saturnrsquos are
the most stunning
We have found the rings vary in density and there are
gaps in the system we have also discovered moons
embedded into the system
How were they formed
There are two main theories on how the rings were
formed One theory is that a moon moved inwards during
its orbit the tidal forces of Saturn ripped the moon apart
and created the ring system
Theory two is that the ring system are the remains
or left overrsquos from nebular material from which
Saturn was formed Other theories include a
moon collision
The densest parts of the ring system are the A
and B rings There is a gap in between the rings
called the Cassini division This was discovered by
Giovann Doenico Cassini in 1675 The C ring which
makes up the main three rings was discovered
in 1850 The main rings contain larger particles
The other rings DEFG can be described as dusty rings and are not as dense as the main three
D ring inner most very faint
C ring wide and faint
B ring largest and brightest of the rings
A ring outer most of the large bright rings its inner boundary is the Cassini division
F outer most ring and the most active Its features change hourly
JanusEpimetheus ring faint dusty ring the moons Janus and Epimetheus orbit in this ring Material in this
27
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
28
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ring is ejected material from the moons this would have been caused by impacts
G ring very thin ring and faint positioned half way in between the F and the beginning of the E ring its inner
edges is in the orbit of the moon Mimas
Methone Ring Arc faint ring discovered in September 2006 the moon Methone orbits within this ring
Anthe ring faint ring discovered in 2007
Pallene ring a faint dust ring
E ring second most outer ring and is very wide It starts at the orbit of Mimas and ends a Rhea It consist of
ices silicates carbon dioxide and ammonia The particles are mainly microscopic
Phoebe Ring in Oct 2009 the rings discovery was announced it is just in the orbital plane of the moon phoebe
Saturnrsquos Moons
Both Jupiter and Saturn are like mini solar systems both
have a wide ranging array of moons From oddly shaped
rocky moons to moons frozen and covered in ice and a
strange moon with its own atmosphere
Some of Saturnrsquos moons or moonlets are no more than a
1 Km across however Saturn does have the solar systems
second largest moon Titan
Saturn hosts two moons of particular interest Titan as
mentioned before and the icy world of Enceladus What
is interesting about Enceladus is that a Liquid spews from
29
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
30
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
Saturn is a strange world it has no solid surface and its atmosphere bleeds into a liquid body The planet
is primarily made of Hydrogen and Helium Making up the rest is water ammonia and methane ices
Saturnrsquos clouds are composed of Hydrogen and Helium Gases with Methane Ammonia and Water ice
crystals When you dive deeper into the planet the clouds become denser and pressure mounts Eventually
you will find yourself in a molecular hydrogen liquid It is possible this liquid surrounds a rocky hot core
Conductive layers around the core are thought to produce Saturnrsquos magnetic field
Images Above Wikipedia Bottom NASA Opposite D Bood
Saturn Facts
Saturn radiates 79 more energy than it receives from the sun
23
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
24
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A Day on SaturnIt is complicated to determine a Saturn day after all the entire
planet is a ball of gas with no land features to mark a point and time
how long that point makes a full revolution The different layers
observed rotate at different speeds
Astronomers have devised a system to look at the different areas
rotation It is called System 1 2 and 3
However a day on Saturn is roughly just over 10 hours
What is interesting is that both Saturn and Jupiter are still evolv-
ing they are still settling in gravitational terms This means they are
contracting which in turn created internal heat Saturn radiates 3
times more heat than it receives from the sun
The RingsSaturnrsquos rings can be seen with a small telescope however larger
telescopes give you more detail The rings are amazing to see With
a smaller telescope the rings appear more as one ring larger scopes
you can make out in more detail individual rings
The rings have been identified and labelled in order of discovery
and using a simple identification system (ABC to G)
25
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
26
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The rings are mainly composed of water ice they range
from small particles to larger lumps Some of the material
in the ring is rocky however this is mainly trace elements
Other planets have ring systems however Saturnrsquos are
the most stunning
We have found the rings vary in density and there are
gaps in the system we have also discovered moons
embedded into the system
How were they formed
There are two main theories on how the rings were
formed One theory is that a moon moved inwards during
its orbit the tidal forces of Saturn ripped the moon apart
and created the ring system
Theory two is that the ring system are the remains
or left overrsquos from nebular material from which
Saturn was formed Other theories include a
moon collision
The densest parts of the ring system are the A
and B rings There is a gap in between the rings
called the Cassini division This was discovered by
Giovann Doenico Cassini in 1675 The C ring which
makes up the main three rings was discovered
in 1850 The main rings contain larger particles
The other rings DEFG can be described as dusty rings and are not as dense as the main three
D ring inner most very faint
C ring wide and faint
B ring largest and brightest of the rings
A ring outer most of the large bright rings its inner boundary is the Cassini division
F outer most ring and the most active Its features change hourly
JanusEpimetheus ring faint dusty ring the moons Janus and Epimetheus orbit in this ring Material in this
27
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
28
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ring is ejected material from the moons this would have been caused by impacts
G ring very thin ring and faint positioned half way in between the F and the beginning of the E ring its inner
edges is in the orbit of the moon Mimas
Methone Ring Arc faint ring discovered in September 2006 the moon Methone orbits within this ring
Anthe ring faint ring discovered in 2007
Pallene ring a faint dust ring
E ring second most outer ring and is very wide It starts at the orbit of Mimas and ends a Rhea It consist of
ices silicates carbon dioxide and ammonia The particles are mainly microscopic
Phoebe Ring in Oct 2009 the rings discovery was announced it is just in the orbital plane of the moon phoebe
Saturnrsquos Moons
Both Jupiter and Saturn are like mini solar systems both
have a wide ranging array of moons From oddly shaped
rocky moons to moons frozen and covered in ice and a
strange moon with its own atmosphere
Some of Saturnrsquos moons or moonlets are no more than a
1 Km across however Saturn does have the solar systems
second largest moon Titan
Saturn hosts two moons of particular interest Titan as
mentioned before and the icy world of Enceladus What
is interesting about Enceladus is that a Liquid spews from
29
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
30
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
Saturn is a strange world it has no solid surface and its atmosphere bleeds into a liquid body The planet
is primarily made of Hydrogen and Helium Making up the rest is water ammonia and methane ices
Saturnrsquos clouds are composed of Hydrogen and Helium Gases with Methane Ammonia and Water ice
crystals When you dive deeper into the planet the clouds become denser and pressure mounts Eventually
you will find yourself in a molecular hydrogen liquid It is possible this liquid surrounds a rocky hot core
Conductive layers around the core are thought to produce Saturnrsquos magnetic field
Images Above Wikipedia Bottom NASA Opposite D Bood
Saturn Facts
Saturn radiates 79 more energy than it receives from the sun
23
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
24
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A Day on SaturnIt is complicated to determine a Saturn day after all the entire
planet is a ball of gas with no land features to mark a point and time
how long that point makes a full revolution The different layers
observed rotate at different speeds
Astronomers have devised a system to look at the different areas
rotation It is called System 1 2 and 3
However a day on Saturn is roughly just over 10 hours
What is interesting is that both Saturn and Jupiter are still evolv-
ing they are still settling in gravitational terms This means they are
contracting which in turn created internal heat Saturn radiates 3
times more heat than it receives from the sun
The RingsSaturnrsquos rings can be seen with a small telescope however larger
telescopes give you more detail The rings are amazing to see With
a smaller telescope the rings appear more as one ring larger scopes
you can make out in more detail individual rings
The rings have been identified and labelled in order of discovery
and using a simple identification system (ABC to G)
25
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
26
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The rings are mainly composed of water ice they range
from small particles to larger lumps Some of the material
in the ring is rocky however this is mainly trace elements
Other planets have ring systems however Saturnrsquos are
the most stunning
We have found the rings vary in density and there are
gaps in the system we have also discovered moons
embedded into the system
How were they formed
There are two main theories on how the rings were
formed One theory is that a moon moved inwards during
its orbit the tidal forces of Saturn ripped the moon apart
and created the ring system
Theory two is that the ring system are the remains
or left overrsquos from nebular material from which
Saturn was formed Other theories include a
moon collision
The densest parts of the ring system are the A
and B rings There is a gap in between the rings
called the Cassini division This was discovered by
Giovann Doenico Cassini in 1675 The C ring which
makes up the main three rings was discovered
in 1850 The main rings contain larger particles
The other rings DEFG can be described as dusty rings and are not as dense as the main three
D ring inner most very faint
C ring wide and faint
B ring largest and brightest of the rings
A ring outer most of the large bright rings its inner boundary is the Cassini division
F outer most ring and the most active Its features change hourly
JanusEpimetheus ring faint dusty ring the moons Janus and Epimetheus orbit in this ring Material in this
27
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ring is ejected material from the moons this would have been caused by impacts
G ring very thin ring and faint positioned half way in between the F and the beginning of the E ring its inner
edges is in the orbit of the moon Mimas
Methone Ring Arc faint ring discovered in September 2006 the moon Methone orbits within this ring
Anthe ring faint ring discovered in 2007
Pallene ring a faint dust ring
E ring second most outer ring and is very wide It starts at the orbit of Mimas and ends a Rhea It consist of
ices silicates carbon dioxide and ammonia The particles are mainly microscopic
Phoebe Ring in Oct 2009 the rings discovery was announced it is just in the orbital plane of the moon phoebe
Saturnrsquos Moons
Both Jupiter and Saturn are like mini solar systems both
have a wide ranging array of moons From oddly shaped
rocky moons to moons frozen and covered in ice and a
strange moon with its own atmosphere
Some of Saturnrsquos moons or moonlets are no more than a
1 Km across however Saturn does have the solar systems
second largest moon Titan
Saturn hosts two moons of particular interest Titan as
mentioned before and the icy world of Enceladus What
is interesting about Enceladus is that a Liquid spews from
29
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
30
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
Saturn is a strange world it has no solid surface and its atmosphere bleeds into a liquid body The planet
is primarily made of Hydrogen and Helium Making up the rest is water ammonia and methane ices
Saturnrsquos clouds are composed of Hydrogen and Helium Gases with Methane Ammonia and Water ice
crystals When you dive deeper into the planet the clouds become denser and pressure mounts Eventually
you will find yourself in a molecular hydrogen liquid It is possible this liquid surrounds a rocky hot core
Conductive layers around the core are thought to produce Saturnrsquos magnetic field
Images Above Wikipedia Bottom NASA Opposite D Bood
Saturn Facts
Saturn radiates 79 more energy than it receives from the sun
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A Day on SaturnIt is complicated to determine a Saturn day after all the entire
planet is a ball of gas with no land features to mark a point and time
how long that point makes a full revolution The different layers
observed rotate at different speeds
Astronomers have devised a system to look at the different areas
rotation It is called System 1 2 and 3
However a day on Saturn is roughly just over 10 hours
What is interesting is that both Saturn and Jupiter are still evolv-
ing they are still settling in gravitational terms This means they are
contracting which in turn created internal heat Saturn radiates 3
times more heat than it receives from the sun
The RingsSaturnrsquos rings can be seen with a small telescope however larger
telescopes give you more detail The rings are amazing to see With
a smaller telescope the rings appear more as one ring larger scopes
you can make out in more detail individual rings
The rings have been identified and labelled in order of discovery
and using a simple identification system (ABC to G)
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The rings are mainly composed of water ice they range
from small particles to larger lumps Some of the material
in the ring is rocky however this is mainly trace elements
Other planets have ring systems however Saturnrsquos are
the most stunning
We have found the rings vary in density and there are
gaps in the system we have also discovered moons
embedded into the system
How were they formed
There are two main theories on how the rings were
formed One theory is that a moon moved inwards during
its orbit the tidal forces of Saturn ripped the moon apart
and created the ring system
Theory two is that the ring system are the remains
or left overrsquos from nebular material from which
Saturn was formed Other theories include a
moon collision
The densest parts of the ring system are the A
and B rings There is a gap in between the rings
called the Cassini division This was discovered by
Giovann Doenico Cassini in 1675 The C ring which
makes up the main three rings was discovered
in 1850 The main rings contain larger particles
The other rings DEFG can be described as dusty rings and are not as dense as the main three
D ring inner most very faint
C ring wide and faint
B ring largest and brightest of the rings
A ring outer most of the large bright rings its inner boundary is the Cassini division
F outer most ring and the most active Its features change hourly
JanusEpimetheus ring faint dusty ring the moons Janus and Epimetheus orbit in this ring Material in this
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ring is ejected material from the moons this would have been caused by impacts
G ring very thin ring and faint positioned half way in between the F and the beginning of the E ring its inner
edges is in the orbit of the moon Mimas
Methone Ring Arc faint ring discovered in September 2006 the moon Methone orbits within this ring
Anthe ring faint ring discovered in 2007
Pallene ring a faint dust ring
E ring second most outer ring and is very wide It starts at the orbit of Mimas and ends a Rhea It consist of
ices silicates carbon dioxide and ammonia The particles are mainly microscopic
Phoebe Ring in Oct 2009 the rings discovery was announced it is just in the orbital plane of the moon phoebe
Saturnrsquos Moons
Both Jupiter and Saturn are like mini solar systems both
have a wide ranging array of moons From oddly shaped
rocky moons to moons frozen and covered in ice and a
strange moon with its own atmosphere
Some of Saturnrsquos moons or moonlets are no more than a
1 Km across however Saturn does have the solar systems
second largest moon Titan
Saturn hosts two moons of particular interest Titan as
mentioned before and the icy world of Enceladus What
is interesting about Enceladus is that a Liquid spews from
29
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
Saturn is a strange world it has no solid surface and its atmosphere bleeds into a liquid body The planet
is primarily made of Hydrogen and Helium Making up the rest is water ammonia and methane ices
Saturnrsquos clouds are composed of Hydrogen and Helium Gases with Methane Ammonia and Water ice
crystals When you dive deeper into the planet the clouds become denser and pressure mounts Eventually
you will find yourself in a molecular hydrogen liquid It is possible this liquid surrounds a rocky hot core
Conductive layers around the core are thought to produce Saturnrsquos magnetic field
Images Above Wikipedia Bottom NASA Opposite D Bood
Saturn Facts
Saturn radiates 79 more energy than it receives from the sun
23
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
24
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A Day on SaturnIt is complicated to determine a Saturn day after all the entire
planet is a ball of gas with no land features to mark a point and time
how long that point makes a full revolution The different layers
observed rotate at different speeds
Astronomers have devised a system to look at the different areas
rotation It is called System 1 2 and 3
However a day on Saturn is roughly just over 10 hours
What is interesting is that both Saturn and Jupiter are still evolv-
ing they are still settling in gravitational terms This means they are
contracting which in turn created internal heat Saturn radiates 3
times more heat than it receives from the sun
The RingsSaturnrsquos rings can be seen with a small telescope however larger
telescopes give you more detail The rings are amazing to see With
a smaller telescope the rings appear more as one ring larger scopes
you can make out in more detail individual rings
The rings have been identified and labelled in order of discovery
and using a simple identification system (ABC to G)
25
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
26
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The rings are mainly composed of water ice they range
from small particles to larger lumps Some of the material
in the ring is rocky however this is mainly trace elements
Other planets have ring systems however Saturnrsquos are
the most stunning
We have found the rings vary in density and there are
gaps in the system we have also discovered moons
embedded into the system
How were they formed
There are two main theories on how the rings were
formed One theory is that a moon moved inwards during
its orbit the tidal forces of Saturn ripped the moon apart
and created the ring system
Theory two is that the ring system are the remains
or left overrsquos from nebular material from which
Saturn was formed Other theories include a
moon collision
The densest parts of the ring system are the A
and B rings There is a gap in between the rings
called the Cassini division This was discovered by
Giovann Doenico Cassini in 1675 The C ring which
makes up the main three rings was discovered
in 1850 The main rings contain larger particles
The other rings DEFG can be described as dusty rings and are not as dense as the main three
D ring inner most very faint
C ring wide and faint
B ring largest and brightest of the rings
A ring outer most of the large bright rings its inner boundary is the Cassini division
F outer most ring and the most active Its features change hourly
JanusEpimetheus ring faint dusty ring the moons Janus and Epimetheus orbit in this ring Material in this
27
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
28
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ring is ejected material from the moons this would have been caused by impacts
G ring very thin ring and faint positioned half way in between the F and the beginning of the E ring its inner
edges is in the orbit of the moon Mimas
Methone Ring Arc faint ring discovered in September 2006 the moon Methone orbits within this ring
Anthe ring faint ring discovered in 2007
Pallene ring a faint dust ring
E ring second most outer ring and is very wide It starts at the orbit of Mimas and ends a Rhea It consist of
ices silicates carbon dioxide and ammonia The particles are mainly microscopic
Phoebe Ring in Oct 2009 the rings discovery was announced it is just in the orbital plane of the moon phoebe
Saturnrsquos Moons
Both Jupiter and Saturn are like mini solar systems both
have a wide ranging array of moons From oddly shaped
rocky moons to moons frozen and covered in ice and a
strange moon with its own atmosphere
Some of Saturnrsquos moons or moonlets are no more than a
1 Km across however Saturn does have the solar systems
second largest moon Titan
Saturn hosts two moons of particular interest Titan as
mentioned before and the icy world of Enceladus What
is interesting about Enceladus is that a Liquid spews from
29
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
30
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
Saturn is a strange world it has no solid surface and its atmosphere bleeds into a liquid body The planet
is primarily made of Hydrogen and Helium Making up the rest is water ammonia and methane ices
Saturnrsquos clouds are composed of Hydrogen and Helium Gases with Methane Ammonia and Water ice
crystals When you dive deeper into the planet the clouds become denser and pressure mounts Eventually
you will find yourself in a molecular hydrogen liquid It is possible this liquid surrounds a rocky hot core
Conductive layers around the core are thought to produce Saturnrsquos magnetic field
Images Above Wikipedia Bottom NASA Opposite D Bood
Saturn Facts
Saturn radiates 79 more energy than it receives from the sun
23
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A Day on SaturnIt is complicated to determine a Saturn day after all the entire
planet is a ball of gas with no land features to mark a point and time
how long that point makes a full revolution The different layers
observed rotate at different speeds
Astronomers have devised a system to look at the different areas
rotation It is called System 1 2 and 3
However a day on Saturn is roughly just over 10 hours
What is interesting is that both Saturn and Jupiter are still evolv-
ing they are still settling in gravitational terms This means they are
contracting which in turn created internal heat Saturn radiates 3
times more heat than it receives from the sun
The RingsSaturnrsquos rings can be seen with a small telescope however larger
telescopes give you more detail The rings are amazing to see With
a smaller telescope the rings appear more as one ring larger scopes
you can make out in more detail individual rings
The rings have been identified and labelled in order of discovery
and using a simple identification system (ABC to G)
25
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
26
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The rings are mainly composed of water ice they range
from small particles to larger lumps Some of the material
in the ring is rocky however this is mainly trace elements
Other planets have ring systems however Saturnrsquos are
the most stunning
We have found the rings vary in density and there are
gaps in the system we have also discovered moons
embedded into the system
How were they formed
There are two main theories on how the rings were
formed One theory is that a moon moved inwards during
its orbit the tidal forces of Saturn ripped the moon apart
and created the ring system
Theory two is that the ring system are the remains
or left overrsquos from nebular material from which
Saturn was formed Other theories include a
moon collision
The densest parts of the ring system are the A
and B rings There is a gap in between the rings
called the Cassini division This was discovered by
Giovann Doenico Cassini in 1675 The C ring which
makes up the main three rings was discovered
in 1850 The main rings contain larger particles
The other rings DEFG can be described as dusty rings and are not as dense as the main three
D ring inner most very faint
C ring wide and faint
B ring largest and brightest of the rings
A ring outer most of the large bright rings its inner boundary is the Cassini division
F outer most ring and the most active Its features change hourly
JanusEpimetheus ring faint dusty ring the moons Janus and Epimetheus orbit in this ring Material in this
27
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
28
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ring is ejected material from the moons this would have been caused by impacts
G ring very thin ring and faint positioned half way in between the F and the beginning of the E ring its inner
edges is in the orbit of the moon Mimas
Methone Ring Arc faint ring discovered in September 2006 the moon Methone orbits within this ring
Anthe ring faint ring discovered in 2007
Pallene ring a faint dust ring
E ring second most outer ring and is very wide It starts at the orbit of Mimas and ends a Rhea It consist of
ices silicates carbon dioxide and ammonia The particles are mainly microscopic
Phoebe Ring in Oct 2009 the rings discovery was announced it is just in the orbital plane of the moon phoebe
Saturnrsquos Moons
Both Jupiter and Saturn are like mini solar systems both
have a wide ranging array of moons From oddly shaped
rocky moons to moons frozen and covered in ice and a
strange moon with its own atmosphere
Some of Saturnrsquos moons or moonlets are no more than a
1 Km across however Saturn does have the solar systems
second largest moon Titan
Saturn hosts two moons of particular interest Titan as
mentioned before and the icy world of Enceladus What
is interesting about Enceladus is that a Liquid spews from
29
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
30
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
Saturn is a strange world it has no solid surface and its atmosphere bleeds into a liquid body The planet
is primarily made of Hydrogen and Helium Making up the rest is water ammonia and methane ices
Saturnrsquos clouds are composed of Hydrogen and Helium Gases with Methane Ammonia and Water ice
crystals When you dive deeper into the planet the clouds become denser and pressure mounts Eventually
you will find yourself in a molecular hydrogen liquid It is possible this liquid surrounds a rocky hot core
Conductive layers around the core are thought to produce Saturnrsquos magnetic field
Images Above Wikipedia Bottom NASA Opposite D Bood
Saturn Facts
Saturn radiates 79 more energy than it receives from the sun
23
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
24
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A Day on SaturnIt is complicated to determine a Saturn day after all the entire
planet is a ball of gas with no land features to mark a point and time
how long that point makes a full revolution The different layers
observed rotate at different speeds
Astronomers have devised a system to look at the different areas
rotation It is called System 1 2 and 3
However a day on Saturn is roughly just over 10 hours
What is interesting is that both Saturn and Jupiter are still evolv-
ing they are still settling in gravitational terms This means they are
contracting which in turn created internal heat Saturn radiates 3
times more heat than it receives from the sun
The RingsSaturnrsquos rings can be seen with a small telescope however larger
telescopes give you more detail The rings are amazing to see With
a smaller telescope the rings appear more as one ring larger scopes
you can make out in more detail individual rings
The rings have been identified and labelled in order of discovery
and using a simple identification system (ABC to G)
25
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
26
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The rings are mainly composed of water ice they range
from small particles to larger lumps Some of the material
in the ring is rocky however this is mainly trace elements
Other planets have ring systems however Saturnrsquos are
the most stunning
We have found the rings vary in density and there are
gaps in the system we have also discovered moons
embedded into the system
How were they formed
There are two main theories on how the rings were
formed One theory is that a moon moved inwards during
its orbit the tidal forces of Saturn ripped the moon apart
and created the ring system
Theory two is that the ring system are the remains
or left overrsquos from nebular material from which
Saturn was formed Other theories include a
moon collision
The densest parts of the ring system are the A
and B rings There is a gap in between the rings
called the Cassini division This was discovered by
Giovann Doenico Cassini in 1675 The C ring which
makes up the main three rings was discovered
in 1850 The main rings contain larger particles
The other rings DEFG can be described as dusty rings and are not as dense as the main three
D ring inner most very faint
C ring wide and faint
B ring largest and brightest of the rings
A ring outer most of the large bright rings its inner boundary is the Cassini division
F outer most ring and the most active Its features change hourly
JanusEpimetheus ring faint dusty ring the moons Janus and Epimetheus orbit in this ring Material in this
27
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
28
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ring is ejected material from the moons this would have been caused by impacts
G ring very thin ring and faint positioned half way in between the F and the beginning of the E ring its inner
edges is in the orbit of the moon Mimas
Methone Ring Arc faint ring discovered in September 2006 the moon Methone orbits within this ring
Anthe ring faint ring discovered in 2007
Pallene ring a faint dust ring
E ring second most outer ring and is very wide It starts at the orbit of Mimas and ends a Rhea It consist of
ices silicates carbon dioxide and ammonia The particles are mainly microscopic
Phoebe Ring in Oct 2009 the rings discovery was announced it is just in the orbital plane of the moon phoebe
Saturnrsquos Moons
Both Jupiter and Saturn are like mini solar systems both
have a wide ranging array of moons From oddly shaped
rocky moons to moons frozen and covered in ice and a
strange moon with its own atmosphere
Some of Saturnrsquos moons or moonlets are no more than a
1 Km across however Saturn does have the solar systems
second largest moon Titan
Saturn hosts two moons of particular interest Titan as
mentioned before and the icy world of Enceladus What
is interesting about Enceladus is that a Liquid spews from
29
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
30
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
Saturn is a strange world it has no solid surface and its atmosphere bleeds into a liquid body The planet
is primarily made of Hydrogen and Helium Making up the rest is water ammonia and methane ices
Saturnrsquos clouds are composed of Hydrogen and Helium Gases with Methane Ammonia and Water ice
crystals When you dive deeper into the planet the clouds become denser and pressure mounts Eventually
you will find yourself in a molecular hydrogen liquid It is possible this liquid surrounds a rocky hot core
Conductive layers around the core are thought to produce Saturnrsquos magnetic field
Images Above Wikipedia Bottom NASA Opposite D Bood
Saturn Facts
Saturn radiates 79 more energy than it receives from the sun
23
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
24
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A Day on SaturnIt is complicated to determine a Saturn day after all the entire
planet is a ball of gas with no land features to mark a point and time
how long that point makes a full revolution The different layers
observed rotate at different speeds
Astronomers have devised a system to look at the different areas
rotation It is called System 1 2 and 3
However a day on Saturn is roughly just over 10 hours
What is interesting is that both Saturn and Jupiter are still evolv-
ing they are still settling in gravitational terms This means they are
contracting which in turn created internal heat Saturn radiates 3
times more heat than it receives from the sun
The RingsSaturnrsquos rings can be seen with a small telescope however larger
telescopes give you more detail The rings are amazing to see With
a smaller telescope the rings appear more as one ring larger scopes
you can make out in more detail individual rings
The rings have been identified and labelled in order of discovery
and using a simple identification system (ABC to G)
25
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
26
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The rings are mainly composed of water ice they range
from small particles to larger lumps Some of the material
in the ring is rocky however this is mainly trace elements
Other planets have ring systems however Saturnrsquos are
the most stunning
We have found the rings vary in density and there are
gaps in the system we have also discovered moons
embedded into the system
How were they formed
There are two main theories on how the rings were
formed One theory is that a moon moved inwards during
its orbit the tidal forces of Saturn ripped the moon apart
and created the ring system
Theory two is that the ring system are the remains
or left overrsquos from nebular material from which
Saturn was formed Other theories include a
moon collision
The densest parts of the ring system are the A
and B rings There is a gap in between the rings
called the Cassini division This was discovered by
Giovann Doenico Cassini in 1675 The C ring which
makes up the main three rings was discovered
in 1850 The main rings contain larger particles
The other rings DEFG can be described as dusty rings and are not as dense as the main three
D ring inner most very faint
C ring wide and faint
B ring largest and brightest of the rings
A ring outer most of the large bright rings its inner boundary is the Cassini division
F outer most ring and the most active Its features change hourly
JanusEpimetheus ring faint dusty ring the moons Janus and Epimetheus orbit in this ring Material in this
27
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
28
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ring is ejected material from the moons this would have been caused by impacts
G ring very thin ring and faint positioned half way in between the F and the beginning of the E ring its inner
edges is in the orbit of the moon Mimas
Methone Ring Arc faint ring discovered in September 2006 the moon Methone orbits within this ring
Anthe ring faint ring discovered in 2007
Pallene ring a faint dust ring
E ring second most outer ring and is very wide It starts at the orbit of Mimas and ends a Rhea It consist of
ices silicates carbon dioxide and ammonia The particles are mainly microscopic
Phoebe Ring in Oct 2009 the rings discovery was announced it is just in the orbital plane of the moon phoebe
Saturnrsquos Moons
Both Jupiter and Saturn are like mini solar systems both
have a wide ranging array of moons From oddly shaped
rocky moons to moons frozen and covered in ice and a
strange moon with its own atmosphere
Some of Saturnrsquos moons or moonlets are no more than a
1 Km across however Saturn does have the solar systems
second largest moon Titan
Saturn hosts two moons of particular interest Titan as
mentioned before and the icy world of Enceladus What
is interesting about Enceladus is that a Liquid spews from
29
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
30
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
Saturn is a strange world it has no solid surface and its atmosphere bleeds into a liquid body The planet
is primarily made of Hydrogen and Helium Making up the rest is water ammonia and methane ices
Saturnrsquos clouds are composed of Hydrogen and Helium Gases with Methane Ammonia and Water ice
crystals When you dive deeper into the planet the clouds become denser and pressure mounts Eventually
you will find yourself in a molecular hydrogen liquid It is possible this liquid surrounds a rocky hot core
Conductive layers around the core are thought to produce Saturnrsquos magnetic field
Images Above Wikipedia Bottom NASA Opposite D Bood
Saturn Facts
Saturn radiates 79 more energy than it receives from the sun
23
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
24
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A Day on SaturnIt is complicated to determine a Saturn day after all the entire
planet is a ball of gas with no land features to mark a point and time
how long that point makes a full revolution The different layers
observed rotate at different speeds
Astronomers have devised a system to look at the different areas
rotation It is called System 1 2 and 3
However a day on Saturn is roughly just over 10 hours
What is interesting is that both Saturn and Jupiter are still evolv-
ing they are still settling in gravitational terms This means they are
contracting which in turn created internal heat Saturn radiates 3
times more heat than it receives from the sun
The RingsSaturnrsquos rings can be seen with a small telescope however larger
telescopes give you more detail The rings are amazing to see With
a smaller telescope the rings appear more as one ring larger scopes
you can make out in more detail individual rings
The rings have been identified and labelled in order of discovery
and using a simple identification system (ABC to G)
25
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
26
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The rings are mainly composed of water ice they range
from small particles to larger lumps Some of the material
in the ring is rocky however this is mainly trace elements
Other planets have ring systems however Saturnrsquos are
the most stunning
We have found the rings vary in density and there are
gaps in the system we have also discovered moons
embedded into the system
How were they formed
There are two main theories on how the rings were
formed One theory is that a moon moved inwards during
its orbit the tidal forces of Saturn ripped the moon apart
and created the ring system
Theory two is that the ring system are the remains
or left overrsquos from nebular material from which
Saturn was formed Other theories include a
moon collision
The densest parts of the ring system are the A
and B rings There is a gap in between the rings
called the Cassini division This was discovered by
Giovann Doenico Cassini in 1675 The C ring which
makes up the main three rings was discovered
in 1850 The main rings contain larger particles
The other rings DEFG can be described as dusty rings and are not as dense as the main three
D ring inner most very faint
C ring wide and faint
B ring largest and brightest of the rings
A ring outer most of the large bright rings its inner boundary is the Cassini division
F outer most ring and the most active Its features change hourly
JanusEpimetheus ring faint dusty ring the moons Janus and Epimetheus orbit in this ring Material in this
27
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
28
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ring is ejected material from the moons this would have been caused by impacts
G ring very thin ring and faint positioned half way in between the F and the beginning of the E ring its inner
edges is in the orbit of the moon Mimas
Methone Ring Arc faint ring discovered in September 2006 the moon Methone orbits within this ring
Anthe ring faint ring discovered in 2007
Pallene ring a faint dust ring
E ring second most outer ring and is very wide It starts at the orbit of Mimas and ends a Rhea It consist of
ices silicates carbon dioxide and ammonia The particles are mainly microscopic
Phoebe Ring in Oct 2009 the rings discovery was announced it is just in the orbital plane of the moon phoebe
Saturnrsquos Moons
Both Jupiter and Saturn are like mini solar systems both
have a wide ranging array of moons From oddly shaped
rocky moons to moons frozen and covered in ice and a
strange moon with its own atmosphere
Some of Saturnrsquos moons or moonlets are no more than a
1 Km across however Saturn does have the solar systems
second largest moon Titan
Saturn hosts two moons of particular interest Titan as
mentioned before and the icy world of Enceladus What
is interesting about Enceladus is that a Liquid spews from
29
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
30
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
Saturn is a strange world it has no solid surface and its atmosphere bleeds into a liquid body The planet
is primarily made of Hydrogen and Helium Making up the rest is water ammonia and methane ices
Saturnrsquos clouds are composed of Hydrogen and Helium Gases with Methane Ammonia and Water ice
crystals When you dive deeper into the planet the clouds become denser and pressure mounts Eventually
you will find yourself in a molecular hydrogen liquid It is possible this liquid surrounds a rocky hot core
Conductive layers around the core are thought to produce Saturnrsquos magnetic field
Images Above Wikipedia Bottom NASA Opposite D Bood
Saturn Facts
Saturn radiates 79 more energy than it receives from the sun
23
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
24
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A Day on SaturnIt is complicated to determine a Saturn day after all the entire
planet is a ball of gas with no land features to mark a point and time
how long that point makes a full revolution The different layers
observed rotate at different speeds
Astronomers have devised a system to look at the different areas
rotation It is called System 1 2 and 3
However a day on Saturn is roughly just over 10 hours
What is interesting is that both Saturn and Jupiter are still evolv-
ing they are still settling in gravitational terms This means they are
contracting which in turn created internal heat Saturn radiates 3
times more heat than it receives from the sun
The RingsSaturnrsquos rings can be seen with a small telescope however larger
telescopes give you more detail The rings are amazing to see With
a smaller telescope the rings appear more as one ring larger scopes
you can make out in more detail individual rings
The rings have been identified and labelled in order of discovery
and using a simple identification system (ABC to G)
25
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
26
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The rings are mainly composed of water ice they range
from small particles to larger lumps Some of the material
in the ring is rocky however this is mainly trace elements
Other planets have ring systems however Saturnrsquos are
the most stunning
We have found the rings vary in density and there are
gaps in the system we have also discovered moons
embedded into the system
How were they formed
There are two main theories on how the rings were
formed One theory is that a moon moved inwards during
its orbit the tidal forces of Saturn ripped the moon apart
and created the ring system
Theory two is that the ring system are the remains
or left overrsquos from nebular material from which
Saturn was formed Other theories include a
moon collision
The densest parts of the ring system are the A
and B rings There is a gap in between the rings
called the Cassini division This was discovered by
Giovann Doenico Cassini in 1675 The C ring which
makes up the main three rings was discovered
in 1850 The main rings contain larger particles
The other rings DEFG can be described as dusty rings and are not as dense as the main three
D ring inner most very faint
C ring wide and faint
B ring largest and brightest of the rings
A ring outer most of the large bright rings its inner boundary is the Cassini division
F outer most ring and the most active Its features change hourly
JanusEpimetheus ring faint dusty ring the moons Janus and Epimetheus orbit in this ring Material in this
27
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
28
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ring is ejected material from the moons this would have been caused by impacts
G ring very thin ring and faint positioned half way in between the F and the beginning of the E ring its inner
edges is in the orbit of the moon Mimas
Methone Ring Arc faint ring discovered in September 2006 the moon Methone orbits within this ring
Anthe ring faint ring discovered in 2007
Pallene ring a faint dust ring
E ring second most outer ring and is very wide It starts at the orbit of Mimas and ends a Rhea It consist of
ices silicates carbon dioxide and ammonia The particles are mainly microscopic
Phoebe Ring in Oct 2009 the rings discovery was announced it is just in the orbital plane of the moon phoebe
Saturnrsquos Moons
Both Jupiter and Saturn are like mini solar systems both
have a wide ranging array of moons From oddly shaped
rocky moons to moons frozen and covered in ice and a
strange moon with its own atmosphere
Some of Saturnrsquos moons or moonlets are no more than a
1 Km across however Saturn does have the solar systems
second largest moon Titan
Saturn hosts two moons of particular interest Titan as
mentioned before and the icy world of Enceladus What
is interesting about Enceladus is that a Liquid spews from
29
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
30
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
21
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
22
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Saturn is a strange world it has no solid surface and its atmosphere bleeds into a liquid body The planet
is primarily made of Hydrogen and Helium Making up the rest is water ammonia and methane ices
Saturnrsquos clouds are composed of Hydrogen and Helium Gases with Methane Ammonia and Water ice
crystals When you dive deeper into the planet the clouds become denser and pressure mounts Eventually
you will find yourself in a molecular hydrogen liquid It is possible this liquid surrounds a rocky hot core
Conductive layers around the core are thought to produce Saturnrsquos magnetic field
Images Above Wikipedia Bottom NASA Opposite D Bood
Saturn Facts
Saturn radiates 79 more energy than it receives from the sun
23
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
24
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A Day on SaturnIt is complicated to determine a Saturn day after all the entire
planet is a ball of gas with no land features to mark a point and time
how long that point makes a full revolution The different layers
observed rotate at different speeds
Astronomers have devised a system to look at the different areas
rotation It is called System 1 2 and 3
However a day on Saturn is roughly just over 10 hours
What is interesting is that both Saturn and Jupiter are still evolv-
ing they are still settling in gravitational terms This means they are
contracting which in turn created internal heat Saturn radiates 3
times more heat than it receives from the sun
The RingsSaturnrsquos rings can be seen with a small telescope however larger
telescopes give you more detail The rings are amazing to see With
a smaller telescope the rings appear more as one ring larger scopes
you can make out in more detail individual rings
The rings have been identified and labelled in order of discovery
and using a simple identification system (ABC to G)
25
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
26
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The rings are mainly composed of water ice they range
from small particles to larger lumps Some of the material
in the ring is rocky however this is mainly trace elements
Other planets have ring systems however Saturnrsquos are
the most stunning
We have found the rings vary in density and there are
gaps in the system we have also discovered moons
embedded into the system
How were they formed
There are two main theories on how the rings were
formed One theory is that a moon moved inwards during
its orbit the tidal forces of Saturn ripped the moon apart
and created the ring system
Theory two is that the ring system are the remains
or left overrsquos from nebular material from which
Saturn was formed Other theories include a
moon collision
The densest parts of the ring system are the A
and B rings There is a gap in between the rings
called the Cassini division This was discovered by
Giovann Doenico Cassini in 1675 The C ring which
makes up the main three rings was discovered
in 1850 The main rings contain larger particles
The other rings DEFG can be described as dusty rings and are not as dense as the main three
D ring inner most very faint
C ring wide and faint
B ring largest and brightest of the rings
A ring outer most of the large bright rings its inner boundary is the Cassini division
F outer most ring and the most active Its features change hourly
JanusEpimetheus ring faint dusty ring the moons Janus and Epimetheus orbit in this ring Material in this
27
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
28
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ring is ejected material from the moons this would have been caused by impacts
G ring very thin ring and faint positioned half way in between the F and the beginning of the E ring its inner
edges is in the orbit of the moon Mimas
Methone Ring Arc faint ring discovered in September 2006 the moon Methone orbits within this ring
Anthe ring faint ring discovered in 2007
Pallene ring a faint dust ring
E ring second most outer ring and is very wide It starts at the orbit of Mimas and ends a Rhea It consist of
ices silicates carbon dioxide and ammonia The particles are mainly microscopic
Phoebe Ring in Oct 2009 the rings discovery was announced it is just in the orbital plane of the moon phoebe
Saturnrsquos Moons
Both Jupiter and Saturn are like mini solar systems both
have a wide ranging array of moons From oddly shaped
rocky moons to moons frozen and covered in ice and a
strange moon with its own atmosphere
Some of Saturnrsquos moons or moonlets are no more than a
1 Km across however Saturn does have the solar systems
second largest moon Titan
Saturn hosts two moons of particular interest Titan as
mentioned before and the icy world of Enceladus What
is interesting about Enceladus is that a Liquid spews from
29
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
30
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
22
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Saturn is a strange world it has no solid surface and its atmosphere bleeds into a liquid body The planet
is primarily made of Hydrogen and Helium Making up the rest is water ammonia and methane ices
Saturnrsquos clouds are composed of Hydrogen and Helium Gases with Methane Ammonia and Water ice
crystals When you dive deeper into the planet the clouds become denser and pressure mounts Eventually
you will find yourself in a molecular hydrogen liquid It is possible this liquid surrounds a rocky hot core
Conductive layers around the core are thought to produce Saturnrsquos magnetic field
Images Above Wikipedia Bottom NASA Opposite D Bood
Saturn Facts
Saturn radiates 79 more energy than it receives from the sun
23
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
24
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A Day on SaturnIt is complicated to determine a Saturn day after all the entire
planet is a ball of gas with no land features to mark a point and time
how long that point makes a full revolution The different layers
observed rotate at different speeds
Astronomers have devised a system to look at the different areas
rotation It is called System 1 2 and 3
However a day on Saturn is roughly just over 10 hours
What is interesting is that both Saturn and Jupiter are still evolv-
ing they are still settling in gravitational terms This means they are
contracting which in turn created internal heat Saturn radiates 3
times more heat than it receives from the sun
The RingsSaturnrsquos rings can be seen with a small telescope however larger
telescopes give you more detail The rings are amazing to see With
a smaller telescope the rings appear more as one ring larger scopes
you can make out in more detail individual rings
The rings have been identified and labelled in order of discovery
and using a simple identification system (ABC to G)
25
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
26
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The rings are mainly composed of water ice they range
from small particles to larger lumps Some of the material
in the ring is rocky however this is mainly trace elements
Other planets have ring systems however Saturnrsquos are
the most stunning
We have found the rings vary in density and there are
gaps in the system we have also discovered moons
embedded into the system
How were they formed
There are two main theories on how the rings were
formed One theory is that a moon moved inwards during
its orbit the tidal forces of Saturn ripped the moon apart
and created the ring system
Theory two is that the ring system are the remains
or left overrsquos from nebular material from which
Saturn was formed Other theories include a
moon collision
The densest parts of the ring system are the A
and B rings There is a gap in between the rings
called the Cassini division This was discovered by
Giovann Doenico Cassini in 1675 The C ring which
makes up the main three rings was discovered
in 1850 The main rings contain larger particles
The other rings DEFG can be described as dusty rings and are not as dense as the main three
D ring inner most very faint
C ring wide and faint
B ring largest and brightest of the rings
A ring outer most of the large bright rings its inner boundary is the Cassini division
F outer most ring and the most active Its features change hourly
JanusEpimetheus ring faint dusty ring the moons Janus and Epimetheus orbit in this ring Material in this
27
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
28
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ring is ejected material from the moons this would have been caused by impacts
G ring very thin ring and faint positioned half way in between the F and the beginning of the E ring its inner
edges is in the orbit of the moon Mimas
Methone Ring Arc faint ring discovered in September 2006 the moon Methone orbits within this ring
Anthe ring faint ring discovered in 2007
Pallene ring a faint dust ring
E ring second most outer ring and is very wide It starts at the orbit of Mimas and ends a Rhea It consist of
ices silicates carbon dioxide and ammonia The particles are mainly microscopic
Phoebe Ring in Oct 2009 the rings discovery was announced it is just in the orbital plane of the moon phoebe
Saturnrsquos Moons
Both Jupiter and Saturn are like mini solar systems both
have a wide ranging array of moons From oddly shaped
rocky moons to moons frozen and covered in ice and a
strange moon with its own atmosphere
Some of Saturnrsquos moons or moonlets are no more than a
1 Km across however Saturn does have the solar systems
second largest moon Titan
Saturn hosts two moons of particular interest Titan as
mentioned before and the icy world of Enceladus What
is interesting about Enceladus is that a Liquid spews from
29
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
30
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
23
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
24
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A Day on SaturnIt is complicated to determine a Saturn day after all the entire
planet is a ball of gas with no land features to mark a point and time
how long that point makes a full revolution The different layers
observed rotate at different speeds
Astronomers have devised a system to look at the different areas
rotation It is called System 1 2 and 3
However a day on Saturn is roughly just over 10 hours
What is interesting is that both Saturn and Jupiter are still evolv-
ing they are still settling in gravitational terms This means they are
contracting which in turn created internal heat Saturn radiates 3
times more heat than it receives from the sun
The RingsSaturnrsquos rings can be seen with a small telescope however larger
telescopes give you more detail The rings are amazing to see With
a smaller telescope the rings appear more as one ring larger scopes
you can make out in more detail individual rings
The rings have been identified and labelled in order of discovery
and using a simple identification system (ABC to G)
25
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
26
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The rings are mainly composed of water ice they range
from small particles to larger lumps Some of the material
in the ring is rocky however this is mainly trace elements
Other planets have ring systems however Saturnrsquos are
the most stunning
We have found the rings vary in density and there are
gaps in the system we have also discovered moons
embedded into the system
How were they formed
There are two main theories on how the rings were
formed One theory is that a moon moved inwards during
its orbit the tidal forces of Saturn ripped the moon apart
and created the ring system
Theory two is that the ring system are the remains
or left overrsquos from nebular material from which
Saturn was formed Other theories include a
moon collision
The densest parts of the ring system are the A
and B rings There is a gap in between the rings
called the Cassini division This was discovered by
Giovann Doenico Cassini in 1675 The C ring which
makes up the main three rings was discovered
in 1850 The main rings contain larger particles
The other rings DEFG can be described as dusty rings and are not as dense as the main three
D ring inner most very faint
C ring wide and faint
B ring largest and brightest of the rings
A ring outer most of the large bright rings its inner boundary is the Cassini division
F outer most ring and the most active Its features change hourly
JanusEpimetheus ring faint dusty ring the moons Janus and Epimetheus orbit in this ring Material in this
27
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
28
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ring is ejected material from the moons this would have been caused by impacts
G ring very thin ring and faint positioned half way in between the F and the beginning of the E ring its inner
edges is in the orbit of the moon Mimas
Methone Ring Arc faint ring discovered in September 2006 the moon Methone orbits within this ring
Anthe ring faint ring discovered in 2007
Pallene ring a faint dust ring
E ring second most outer ring and is very wide It starts at the orbit of Mimas and ends a Rhea It consist of
ices silicates carbon dioxide and ammonia The particles are mainly microscopic
Phoebe Ring in Oct 2009 the rings discovery was announced it is just in the orbital plane of the moon phoebe
Saturnrsquos Moons
Both Jupiter and Saturn are like mini solar systems both
have a wide ranging array of moons From oddly shaped
rocky moons to moons frozen and covered in ice and a
strange moon with its own atmosphere
Some of Saturnrsquos moons or moonlets are no more than a
1 Km across however Saturn does have the solar systems
second largest moon Titan
Saturn hosts two moons of particular interest Titan as
mentioned before and the icy world of Enceladus What
is interesting about Enceladus is that a Liquid spews from
29
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
30
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
24
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A Day on SaturnIt is complicated to determine a Saturn day after all the entire
planet is a ball of gas with no land features to mark a point and time
how long that point makes a full revolution The different layers
observed rotate at different speeds
Astronomers have devised a system to look at the different areas
rotation It is called System 1 2 and 3
However a day on Saturn is roughly just over 10 hours
What is interesting is that both Saturn and Jupiter are still evolv-
ing they are still settling in gravitational terms This means they are
contracting which in turn created internal heat Saturn radiates 3
times more heat than it receives from the sun
The RingsSaturnrsquos rings can be seen with a small telescope however larger
telescopes give you more detail The rings are amazing to see With
a smaller telescope the rings appear more as one ring larger scopes
you can make out in more detail individual rings
The rings have been identified and labelled in order of discovery
and using a simple identification system (ABC to G)
25
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
26
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The rings are mainly composed of water ice they range
from small particles to larger lumps Some of the material
in the ring is rocky however this is mainly trace elements
Other planets have ring systems however Saturnrsquos are
the most stunning
We have found the rings vary in density and there are
gaps in the system we have also discovered moons
embedded into the system
How were they formed
There are two main theories on how the rings were
formed One theory is that a moon moved inwards during
its orbit the tidal forces of Saturn ripped the moon apart
and created the ring system
Theory two is that the ring system are the remains
or left overrsquos from nebular material from which
Saturn was formed Other theories include a
moon collision
The densest parts of the ring system are the A
and B rings There is a gap in between the rings
called the Cassini division This was discovered by
Giovann Doenico Cassini in 1675 The C ring which
makes up the main three rings was discovered
in 1850 The main rings contain larger particles
The other rings DEFG can be described as dusty rings and are not as dense as the main three
D ring inner most very faint
C ring wide and faint
B ring largest and brightest of the rings
A ring outer most of the large bright rings its inner boundary is the Cassini division
F outer most ring and the most active Its features change hourly
JanusEpimetheus ring faint dusty ring the moons Janus and Epimetheus orbit in this ring Material in this
27
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
28
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ring is ejected material from the moons this would have been caused by impacts
G ring very thin ring and faint positioned half way in between the F and the beginning of the E ring its inner
edges is in the orbit of the moon Mimas
Methone Ring Arc faint ring discovered in September 2006 the moon Methone orbits within this ring
Anthe ring faint ring discovered in 2007
Pallene ring a faint dust ring
E ring second most outer ring and is very wide It starts at the orbit of Mimas and ends a Rhea It consist of
ices silicates carbon dioxide and ammonia The particles are mainly microscopic
Phoebe Ring in Oct 2009 the rings discovery was announced it is just in the orbital plane of the moon phoebe
Saturnrsquos Moons
Both Jupiter and Saturn are like mini solar systems both
have a wide ranging array of moons From oddly shaped
rocky moons to moons frozen and covered in ice and a
strange moon with its own atmosphere
Some of Saturnrsquos moons or moonlets are no more than a
1 Km across however Saturn does have the solar systems
second largest moon Titan
Saturn hosts two moons of particular interest Titan as
mentioned before and the icy world of Enceladus What
is interesting about Enceladus is that a Liquid spews from
29
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
30
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
25
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
26
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The rings are mainly composed of water ice they range
from small particles to larger lumps Some of the material
in the ring is rocky however this is mainly trace elements
Other planets have ring systems however Saturnrsquos are
the most stunning
We have found the rings vary in density and there are
gaps in the system we have also discovered moons
embedded into the system
How were they formed
There are two main theories on how the rings were
formed One theory is that a moon moved inwards during
its orbit the tidal forces of Saturn ripped the moon apart
and created the ring system
Theory two is that the ring system are the remains
or left overrsquos from nebular material from which
Saturn was formed Other theories include a
moon collision
The densest parts of the ring system are the A
and B rings There is a gap in between the rings
called the Cassini division This was discovered by
Giovann Doenico Cassini in 1675 The C ring which
makes up the main three rings was discovered
in 1850 The main rings contain larger particles
The other rings DEFG can be described as dusty rings and are not as dense as the main three
D ring inner most very faint
C ring wide and faint
B ring largest and brightest of the rings
A ring outer most of the large bright rings its inner boundary is the Cassini division
F outer most ring and the most active Its features change hourly
JanusEpimetheus ring faint dusty ring the moons Janus and Epimetheus orbit in this ring Material in this
27
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ring is ejected material from the moons this would have been caused by impacts
G ring very thin ring and faint positioned half way in between the F and the beginning of the E ring its inner
edges is in the orbit of the moon Mimas
Methone Ring Arc faint ring discovered in September 2006 the moon Methone orbits within this ring
Anthe ring faint ring discovered in 2007
Pallene ring a faint dust ring
E ring second most outer ring and is very wide It starts at the orbit of Mimas and ends a Rhea It consist of
ices silicates carbon dioxide and ammonia The particles are mainly microscopic
Phoebe Ring in Oct 2009 the rings discovery was announced it is just in the orbital plane of the moon phoebe
Saturnrsquos Moons
Both Jupiter and Saturn are like mini solar systems both
have a wide ranging array of moons From oddly shaped
rocky moons to moons frozen and covered in ice and a
strange moon with its own atmosphere
Some of Saturnrsquos moons or moonlets are no more than a
1 Km across however Saturn does have the solar systems
second largest moon Titan
Saturn hosts two moons of particular interest Titan as
mentioned before and the icy world of Enceladus What
is interesting about Enceladus is that a Liquid spews from
29
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
30
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
26
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The rings are mainly composed of water ice they range
from small particles to larger lumps Some of the material
in the ring is rocky however this is mainly trace elements
Other planets have ring systems however Saturnrsquos are
the most stunning
We have found the rings vary in density and there are
gaps in the system we have also discovered moons
embedded into the system
How were they formed
There are two main theories on how the rings were
formed One theory is that a moon moved inwards during
its orbit the tidal forces of Saturn ripped the moon apart
and created the ring system
Theory two is that the ring system are the remains
or left overrsquos from nebular material from which
Saturn was formed Other theories include a
moon collision
The densest parts of the ring system are the A
and B rings There is a gap in between the rings
called the Cassini division This was discovered by
Giovann Doenico Cassini in 1675 The C ring which
makes up the main three rings was discovered
in 1850 The main rings contain larger particles
The other rings DEFG can be described as dusty rings and are not as dense as the main three
D ring inner most very faint
C ring wide and faint
B ring largest and brightest of the rings
A ring outer most of the large bright rings its inner boundary is the Cassini division
F outer most ring and the most active Its features change hourly
JanusEpimetheus ring faint dusty ring the moons Janus and Epimetheus orbit in this ring Material in this
27
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
28
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ring is ejected material from the moons this would have been caused by impacts
G ring very thin ring and faint positioned half way in between the F and the beginning of the E ring its inner
edges is in the orbit of the moon Mimas
Methone Ring Arc faint ring discovered in September 2006 the moon Methone orbits within this ring
Anthe ring faint ring discovered in 2007
Pallene ring a faint dust ring
E ring second most outer ring and is very wide It starts at the orbit of Mimas and ends a Rhea It consist of
ices silicates carbon dioxide and ammonia The particles are mainly microscopic
Phoebe Ring in Oct 2009 the rings discovery was announced it is just in the orbital plane of the moon phoebe
Saturnrsquos Moons
Both Jupiter and Saturn are like mini solar systems both
have a wide ranging array of moons From oddly shaped
rocky moons to moons frozen and covered in ice and a
strange moon with its own atmosphere
Some of Saturnrsquos moons or moonlets are no more than a
1 Km across however Saturn does have the solar systems
second largest moon Titan
Saturn hosts two moons of particular interest Titan as
mentioned before and the icy world of Enceladus What
is interesting about Enceladus is that a Liquid spews from
29
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
30
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
27
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
28
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ring is ejected material from the moons this would have been caused by impacts
G ring very thin ring and faint positioned half way in between the F and the beginning of the E ring its inner
edges is in the orbit of the moon Mimas
Methone Ring Arc faint ring discovered in September 2006 the moon Methone orbits within this ring
Anthe ring faint ring discovered in 2007
Pallene ring a faint dust ring
E ring second most outer ring and is very wide It starts at the orbit of Mimas and ends a Rhea It consist of
ices silicates carbon dioxide and ammonia The particles are mainly microscopic
Phoebe Ring in Oct 2009 the rings discovery was announced it is just in the orbital plane of the moon phoebe
Saturnrsquos Moons
Both Jupiter and Saturn are like mini solar systems both
have a wide ranging array of moons From oddly shaped
rocky moons to moons frozen and covered in ice and a
strange moon with its own atmosphere
Some of Saturnrsquos moons or moonlets are no more than a
1 Km across however Saturn does have the solar systems
second largest moon Titan
Saturn hosts two moons of particular interest Titan as
mentioned before and the icy world of Enceladus What
is interesting about Enceladus is that a Liquid spews from
29
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
30
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
28
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ring is ejected material from the moons this would have been caused by impacts
G ring very thin ring and faint positioned half way in between the F and the beginning of the E ring its inner
edges is in the orbit of the moon Mimas
Methone Ring Arc faint ring discovered in September 2006 the moon Methone orbits within this ring
Anthe ring faint ring discovered in 2007
Pallene ring a faint dust ring
E ring second most outer ring and is very wide It starts at the orbit of Mimas and ends a Rhea It consist of
ices silicates carbon dioxide and ammonia The particles are mainly microscopic
Phoebe Ring in Oct 2009 the rings discovery was announced it is just in the orbital plane of the moon phoebe
Saturnrsquos Moons
Both Jupiter and Saturn are like mini solar systems both
have a wide ranging array of moons From oddly shaped
rocky moons to moons frozen and covered in ice and a
strange moon with its own atmosphere
Some of Saturnrsquos moons or moonlets are no more than a
1 Km across however Saturn does have the solar systems
second largest moon Titan
Saturn hosts two moons of particular interest Titan as
mentioned before and the icy world of Enceladus What
is interesting about Enceladus is that a Liquid spews from
29
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
30
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
29
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
its southern pole which composition could be Water mixed with dust and gases The plumes could also con-
tribute to Saturn ring system
Recently the Cassini spacecraft flew over Enceladus and detected a gravitational signal consistent with a
large body of water The data suggests a large liquid volume lies about 40 Km below the moons icy crust
A Sea on Enceladus and a Robotic MoleIn a place that is otherwise barren there is a place
of warm venting sea water chimneys of encrusting
minerals methane made by the rocks and water and
consumed by microbes and tiny creatures who cling
to their tiny island of life Itrsquos the Lost City hydrother-
mal vent field in Earthrsquos Atlantic ocean and it is being
studied as a strong analog for the environment within
one of Saturnrsquos moons Enceladus
This is Enceladus a moon in Saturnrsquos E-ring Before
ever knowing of the icy jets of salty spray a scien-
tist could look at this picture and be able to tell that
there was something interesting going on with that
ice coating the surface Look at that soft quiet white
and blue layer of ice that covers everything Do you
see those meteorite craters They donrsquot tend to be in
the southern part of the moon Itrsquos because those blue
veins in the south are warm fractures involved with the
processes that create the jets of ice The liquid water
The icy jets of Enceladus Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute (below) Above Enceladus (WikipediaNASA)
30
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
30
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and ice of the southern latitudes make up a physically
active zone that is always renewing itself Credit NASA
JPLSpace Science Institute
The surface on Enceladus seems calm and for a tiny
moon that seems at first glance to be utterly frozen
thatrsquos what yoursquod expect Except that Enceladus is a
moon of the gas giant planet Saturn and Saturnrsquos
gravity pulls at Enceladus and warps its rocky and icy
layers Think of it like the way our moon pulls on our
planet - we can see our oceans being pulled along with
the moon in high and low tides Our moonrsquos gravity
affects our rocky crust too we just donrsquot really notice
it But in the case of Enceladus the gravity pull from
Saturn is so strong that it causes solid layers like ice
maybe even the rocky core to stretch and push into
each other This heats things up and may be the main
cause of the jets
Of course Enceladus has its own gravity field which can
affect smaller objects like the Cassini spacecraft and
alter its path Physicists saw that the gravity measure-
ments Cassini took over the moonrsquos south polar area
were off from what would be expected if the moon
were a solid ball of rock and ice The denser some-
thing is the greater its gravity and over the south pole
it looked like there was something denser than ice
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
31
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
about 20 miles beneath the surface It could be a
layer of rock but the scientists who are studying
this say they are pretty comfortable in thinking that
it is probably liquid water - a sea that is 6 or 7 miles
deep and covers at least the far southern part of the
moon under the ice - maybe much more
Left is Enceladus with a wedge taken out so that we
can see what Cassini scientists think is the internal
structure Credit NASAJPL-Caltech
If that denser-than-ice layer is in fact a sea this
picture shows how that sea could possibly be the
source of the icy jets Enceladus is covered by a layer
of ice that is about 20 miles thick Beneath this is
the probable sea And beneath that sea is a rocky
core thought to be based on the mineral silica like
bedrock on Earth And if that is what is actually hap-
pening on Enceladus it is an absolute wonderland
for astrobiologists That sea and silicate rock would
make chemistry that life could live in
On Earth rock and liquid water react with each other
in ways that marine biologists and geologists under-
stand very well because itrsquos what gives the oceans
so much of its chemistry Thatrsquos why our seas are so
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
32
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
salty - there are lots of ions from minerals dissolved in them So much of the geology on Earth is from
rock being changed by the way water affects it but usually this happens slowly too slowly for anyone to
sit there and watch it happen But there are a few more dramatic reactions that literally can be watched
at the hydrothermal (hot water) vent sites Some of these vents called black or white smokers are in
volcanic areas where water seeps down through cracks in the crust gets super-heated and boils up in
jets Black and white smoker vent areas are filled with life very alien-seeming life Most of the known
deep-sea vents are so hot and acidic with temperatures in the vent water up to around 300 degrees C
that the creatures making a living there are very specialized to deal with those conditions In some parts
of the vent system oxygen is extremely low too low for oxygen-using creatures to live And most of the
life in these communities depend on the basic energy not of sunlight but of the chemicals in rocks cap-
tured by microbes
Normally when thinking about life that may be elsewhere in the solar system astrobiologists wouldnrsquot
use such alien-seeming Earth creatures The prudent thing is to speculate on living systems that are
well-known Almost all of the life that we know of on Earth are part of a global food web that is based
on the energy of sunshine captured by plants and an energy cycle that uses free oxygen released from
the plants and so photosynthesis is the energy process that most biologists know best But Earth is the
only place in the entire solar system where we have found liquid water on the surface where plants
can reach sunlight There really doesnrsquot seem to be any other place in our solar system where we could
expect a food web to be based on plants or their exhaled oxygen But what about those worlds with
hidden water We have to consider life forms that can get their energy from rocks and donrsquot need free
oxygen to live and hydrothermal vents are full of them
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
33
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Jupiterrsquos ice-covered moon Europa Credit NASAJPL and Ted Stryk
The idea of the black and white smokers as being possible analogs for extraterrestrial life has been debated
very fiercely The arguments really took off after Jupiterrsquos moon Europa was found to be covered with water ice
cracked like an eggshell where fissures seemed to leak up fluid from below Yes these extreme-heat vents have
amazing critters who donrsquot need the rest of us or any of our relations to live who can just cling to rock in hot
water and be perfectly happy Itrsquos so easy to imagine a vibrant ecosystem of hydrothermal vents in an under-ice
sea on Europa flourishing and oblivious to life on Earth The main problem with this idea is that the black and
white smoker hydrothermal vents are very volatile volcanic-based systems that may be around for only hun-
dreds of years before the volcanic activity ends there and moves to another spot And when it begins in another
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
34
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
spot it doesnrsquot start out gently but with very acidic water temperatures of 200-300 degrees C The life at
these vents are specialized to live there If that kind of system is thought to be the main focal point of life on
a small moon it doesnrsquot seem a very stable place for life to develop But in terms of how life makes a living
there The rock-chemical basis for life is known to be on Earth and is ancient Life started so quickly on Earth
based on the kind of energy channels already happening spontaneously and inorganically with hydrogen
carbon and oxygen that those microbes can be seen as living extensions of the water and rock that made
their home And so the thinking has been perhaps these kind of microbes could be on other wet and rocky
worlds if their environment is stable enough and not so extreme as the volcanic vents
Lost City Hydrothermal System
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
35
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A vent tower at Lost City with the robots Hercules and Argus
looking on Credit Deborah Kelley University of Washington IFE
URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
In 2000 a new kind of vent community was found on the sea
floor of the Atlantic Ocean Itrsquos called the Lost City vent field and it
isnrsquot based on volcanism but on rock-water reactions that release
energy as heat raising the water temperature to just around
90-100 degrees C This system has been in the same area for pos-
sibly over 20000 years building vent towers of calcium carbonate
rock - the same mineral that builds coral reefs and makes up the
shells of many sea animals One of the towers named Poseidon
is taller than an 18-story building These vents pour out water
rich in hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide These chem-
icals are part of a classic energy chain used by some archaea
Microbes that live in the vents ldquoeatrdquo the methane making more
complex carbon molecules that then feed other microbes It is
both a non-living and living cycle interwoven and based on the
chemistry of the rocks and water with no sunlight needed
The carbonate towers build structures that are filled with life The walls inside and out are covered in microbes and some tiny translucent-shelled animals like crabs live in the crevices Credit IFE URI-IAO Lost City Science Party NOAA
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
36
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
This is a close-up of carbonate rock at
Lost City with a robot arm investigating
All those nooks are filled with life Credit
University of Washington IFE URI-IAO
NOAA
Meanwhile back on Enceladus the jets have
been sending icy spray out into Saturnrsquos E-ring
Cassini has flown three times through the jets
and has analyzed what kind of particles make up
the E-ring and it looks like the jets of Enceladus
are actually responsible for the material in the
ring Thatrsquos pretty cool but what is grabbing the
attention of astrobiologists is that in the jet ice are
chemicals life could use to live Ammonia methane
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide complex carbon
molecules - what yoursquod expect from the chemistry of
water and silicate rock interacting This means that all
four of the basic ingredients thought to be needed for
life are within Enceladus water nitrogen (ammonia)
organic carbon (simple and complex carbon molecules
- organic means that it is in a form that life can use)
and a source of energy (heat and probably hydrogen)
There is some kind of strong heat happening although
researchers still donrsquot know if the resulting jets are
from the rock reactions heating the seawater or if the
jets come from parts of the deep ice layer above it
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
37
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
It can be easy for people who are familiar with life making things like methane and ammonia to leap to the
conclusion that all those chemicals found in the jets mean that life created them Cassini isnrsquot a life-search-
ing robot so canrsquot analyze things in that way And we arenrsquot going to know for awhile yet In its Science Plan
NASA isnrsquot planning a mission to Enceladus because it doesnrsquot have the funding In terms of planetary research
NASArsquos highest priority is all about Mars with the intent on sending humans to Mars in the 2030s Yet they
donrsquot have the money even for this their highest priority Politics calls the shots and is using the economic
crash as an excuse to not fund projects some of which NASA had already started work on with international
partners But fortunately the European Space Agency along with a few other space agencies is working on the
technology that will be needed for missions to Europa (Europa Explorer) and Enceladus (Enceladus Explorer)
These two explorer missions are working in tandem since so much of the basic technology would be used on
either moon These missions will be in multiple stages - first an orbiter whose focus will be its given moon
Enceladus or Europa then a lander which will land on the icy surface and release the robotic rover named the
Ice Mole The Ice Mole is being designed to melt and dig its way through the miles of ice to hopefully reach a
body of water like Enceladusrsquo sea or a kind of internal ice-pack pond on Europa then work on detecting signs
of life and pack up a sample return to send back to Earth This part of the project design is extremely chal-
lenging because of how deep the seas on both Europa and Enceladus are thought to be The robot needs to
be attached to a cable so that it can communicate with the surface and the orbiter which will relay the data
back to Earth But the sea on Enceladus is thought to be around 6 miles deep which is shallow compared to
Europarsquos sea of maybe 60 miles but in either case the sea floor is incredibly far away And remember - before
even reaching the sea any cable used has to first go down the depth of the ice layer which on Enceladus is
about 20 miles thick So communication with the Ice Mole is a huge challenge that is being worked on
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
38
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
An Earth mole Credit Michael David hill 2005
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
39
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Ice Mole melting a path for itself
through a glacier in Switzerland
Credit FH Aachen
Once the technology allows a robot like
Ice Mole to melt through miles of ice
swim miles to the sea floor and send data
through the sea up to the orbiter it could
look something like this This is the robot
explorer Hercules looking down at some
carbonate spires of the Lost City hydro-
thermal field Credit IFE URI-IAO UW
Lost City Science Party and NOAA
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
40
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
And this is Hercules photographing the IMAX tower at Lost City Credit IFE URI-IAO UW Lost City science party
and NOAA
Ice Molersquos primary mission is to look for chemical and physical signs of present or past life The technology is defi-
nitely very challenging but will be solved The main problem is funding and it is really devastating to outer planet
research when politicians responsible for funding simply donrsquot see how important these missions are This work
is bursting with the best minds creating the new technology needed to explore Enceladus Europa and other
outer-planet moons but it is really driven by the heart This kind of research is so profoundly human With solid
scientific data showing that Enceladus could very well be habitable for microbes and especially with the dis-
covery of what is almost certainly a liquid salty sea astrobiologists are rallying around this moon pushing for a
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
41
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
mission to happen - which means convincing people that it deserves the funding The money is there and frankly
is being spent on some pretty inane things like government golf courses We all need to make sure that the people
in our governments understand just how important these missions are to us At least the wait will give astrobiolo-
gists extra time to ground their understanding of the types of environments that could be in these moonsrsquo seas In
a way though for the field of astrobiology it doesnrsquot matter that we canrsquot know yet if there is life in these moons
We have found on another world the same chemistries that happen on Earth in places like Lost City and whether
or not life is using these chemicals or made them or neither wersquove still extended the known potential habitats
where life can potentially exist
Words Zantippy Skiphop
ZantippySkiphop
42
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Run you mouse over the image to watch a tour of Tring Astronomy Centre
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
43
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Address Unit 15 Old Silk Mill Trading Estate
Brook Street Tring Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
Phone01442 822997
Web httpwwwtringastrocouk
Tring_Astro
Tring Astronomy Centre
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
44
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
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I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
45
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
TITANSaturnrsquos largest moon and the solar systems second largest moon is a unique satellite
Firstly and strangely Titan has a thick and dense atmosphere Strange Well a body of
Titanrsquos mass usually down to its gravity and the solar winds losses its atmosphere as
did Mars Mars is a similar size to Titan However it is all about Location Location Saturn
orbits in a cold part of the solar system so due to less influence from the sun Titan is
able to hold onto its gases
A planet or moons ability to retain an atmosphere is determined by its mass and temper-
ature Titan is cold so therefore its atmosphere gas molecules move slowly and not fast
enough to escape Titanrsquos gravity It may lose Hydrogen molecules because they are far
lighter Titan also never became hot when it formed this enabled methane ammonia and
water ice to form on its surface Water remained on its surface locked in ice A mixture
of ammonia and methane then formed the moons early atmosphere
Today the atmosphere is nitrogen rich
By a method called photochemistry solar radiation broke down the ammonia (NH3) into
Nitrogen (N2) The conversion of NH3 to N2 occurs between 250 and 150K and lasted
for a period of about 100 million years
The SurfaceTitanrsquos surface temperature is a chilly -178 degrees C (-280 F) water on Titan becomes
rock like However a liquid flows on the surface this liquid is methane
Titanrsquos Haze
Credit NASAJPLSpace Science Institute
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
46
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
47
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Other surface features include dunes of hydrocarbons around the equator and low altitudes
these are moved about by winds Titan also has volcanoes which are known as cryovolca-
noes Unlike EarthTitan does not have magma rising up through the ground and spewing
out lava On Titan the eruptions are volatiles such as water ammonia or methane
Tidal forces produce the energy required for such eruptions
Weather On TitanIn many ways Titan is similar to Earth It has a liquid on its surface in the form of lakes and
rivers it also has seasons and weather systems However this is all done at much lower tem-
peratures than here on Earth
liquid on Titan is that of methane and ethane On Titan there is a methane based weather
system it assumes the similar role as water does here on earth
The circulation system can be compared to Earths Titan has also been described as tropical
Strange This is down to Titans slow rotation (16 Earth Days) and the behaviour of methane
The seasons on Titan are long lasting about 7 years it receives about 100 times less sunlight
than Earth however clouds form in the methane-nitrogen rich atmosphere The atmosphere
responds much slower than here on Earth
The University of Granada and the University of Valencia have looked at data from Cassini
and have found Titan has natural electrical activity
One of the elements for life is a spark (lightening) under the right conditions it may be pos-
sible that life may evolve on Titan
Scientists at NASA working on the Cassini project monitored Titans atmosphere for 35 years
they observed over 200 clouds and found these clouds matched models on how they are distrib-
uted around Titan
Titans northern hemisphere is entering its springsummer season this is interesting because on Titan
most of the liquid is in the northern hemisphere So far no waves have been detected on Titanrsquos lakes
and very little wind Current models indicate that the warming season could bring winds A wind of
1 to 2 mph could produce waves or ripples in the methane lakes
Like Earth Titan has rainfall The rain is that of methane and due to Titans gravity it falls slowly Much of
the surface is kept wet by a light drizzle The upper cloud layer is saturated with methane this allows
ice crystals to grow and form They eventually precipitate out and begin to fall the falling methane
crystals start to melt as the go through the atmosphere This forms light drizzle
Titan also has storms which can be quite powerful There is also evaporation from the lakes and seas
this contributes to the rainfall has it does on earth Other mechanisms for weather is volcanic activity
Images NASA
Words Dave Bood
DavesAstronomy
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
48
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
49
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
50
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
THE INTERVIEW
Valerie KlavansAdmin and Owner of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos Moonrdquo
Image Processor and Social Media Leader for
In Saturnrsquos Rings
IC Can you tell us about your interest in image processing What are your favourite images to
process
VK In 2009 I made a Facebook page for Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan and began posting images of the moon as
well as the latest news from the Cassini mission As I dug deeper into the Cassini images I saw that the space-
craft sends ldquorawrdquo images (uncalibrated untouched monochrome images) back to Earth on a frequent basis I
learned that these raw monochrome images can be combined into composites to show the true colour of the
Saturn system One day in 2012 I began to process these images and I found myself feeling like I was travelling
along with Cassini Whenever the latest images come back from the spacecraft I dabble in a new colour com-
posite of one of the worlds in the Saturn system My favourite images to process are of Titan ndash specifically the
infrared frames that reveal Titanrsquos surface In particular I love to process views of Titanrsquos north pole containing
its largest seas and many lakes I enjoy comparing them to previous views to see the difference in lake levels
due to weather (See my portfolio here)
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
51
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Figure a Above and Below Titanrsquos Atmosphere (LINK)
IC 2) Where does your interest in Titan come from
VK Irsquove always loved astronomy but it wasnrsquot until my undergraduate years that I realized what in par-
ticular piqued my interest One event in August 2008 made me love planetary science The Great Planet
Debate There I heard truly mind-blowing talks by important planetary scientists It made me realize we
are in the golden age of planetary science We are now just beginning to understand planetary objects
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
52
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
and we are in dire need of a good classification system for them That same year I began interning with the
Cassini missionrsquos Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I had
an amazing time worked with amazing scientists and fell in love with Saturnrsquos largest moon Titan mainly
because it stands out as a truly unique world in our solar system
IC How important is it to study Titan and what can
we learn about our own planets early begins from
Titan
VK I personally think studying Titan is extremely
important It is a very complex world with a whole
host of processes going on Below Titanrsquos surface is
an underground ocean of liquid water Titan has an
extremely thick atmosphere that has more constit-
uents than other atmosphere we know of But its
uniqueness doesnrsquot stop there Titan is the closest
analog to Earth in the solar system Since one cannot
build a time machine to an early Earth Titan is next
best thing Titanrsquos atmosphere resembles the atmo-
sphere of early Earth Titan also has weather On Titan
methane rain falls from clouds which fills lakes and
seas on its surface Vast sand dunes (their composi-
tion is still unknown) stretch across Titanrsquos surface
similar to sand dunes on Earth
In Saturnrsquos Rings is a ground-breaking
non-profit film in production where science
meets art on the giant screen The film uses all
real images from space and no CGI whatsoever
In particular the film employs images from
the Cassini spacecraft The film focuses on
images of the Saturn system from the Cassini
spacecraft but will show many images from
all across our visible universe The filmmaker
Stephen van Vuuren uses an innova-
tive technique where he animates still images
to make it feel like you are really flying through
space In 2011 the first minute of
footage of the film went viral and thatrsquos how I
found out about the film
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
53
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about the work you do
VK I am a co-producer for In Saturnrsquos Rings I am also an image processor for the film and the leader of
the filmrsquos social media team In order to spread the word on the latest developments concerning the
film I post and tweet to the filmrsquos Twitter and Facebook on almost a daily basis
I am also a volunteer planetary science communicator Under my nom de plume of ldquoTitan Saturnrsquos
Moonrdquo I post about Saturnrsquos largest moon as well as the latest from the Cassini mission Titan has his own Facebook Twitter and WordPress blog On Facebook I focus on the latest images from
Cassini specifically Titan On Twitter I post what the spacecraft is doing on a daily basis On WordPress
I post details on Cassinirsquos latest flybys I compose a majority of updates writing in the first-person per-
spective thereby giving the impression the moon itself is behind the account
IC You have done features on some the USA networks can you tell us about that experience
VK On July 19 2013 people from all around the world waved at the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn It took pictures
of us from Saturn orbit As soon as the raw images came in I immediately made color composites of those views
As a result I kinda went viral My images were featured on NBC News FOX News Daily Mail io9
Business Insider Yahoo News and many others
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
54
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
55
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
On October 10 2013 Cassini took some incredible up-close images of Saturn from above I produced color com-
posites of 2 of these views My images were featured on NBC News Discover Magazine Gizmodo Daily Mail and many others
TOP LEFT Earth from Saturn
BOTTOM LEFT Saturn and Earth
TOP RIGHT Earth and Moon from Saturn
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
56
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Staring towards Saturnrsquos north pole
Saturn and Earth
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
57
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Are there any other plans to land probes on Titan
VK Sadly nothing is in the works for the next few decades There was a recent proposal for a Titan lake lander called the Titan
Mare Explorer (TiME) that would have accomplished the first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea Unfortunately
NASA chose to fund a Mars mission instead
IC Do you get time to observe through a telescope
VK Occasionally I get time to observe I donrsquot have the best telescope but I enjoy going to local star parties My favourite
objects to observe are planets and nebulae I was never really into stargazing until one trip I took in college to Arizona I visited
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona I saw an amazing view of Saturn I also went on top of the Grand Canyon at night The
sky was the darkest I had ever experienced Born and raised in Washington DC I thought a nighttime sky looked dark blue
I finally realized how black it truly can be standing on top of the Grand Canyon without the urban light pollution It was the
most amazing view I had ever seen ndash the band of the Milky Way was visible meteors every few seconds and so many stars
IC Do you think there may be a possibility of microbe life on Titan
VK There is a possibility of microbial life on Titan It is supported by the fact that Titan is the only known satellite in the solar
system with a thick atmosphere containing complex organic compounds ndash which include the chemical precursors of life Some
models in scientific literature have suggested that non-water based life may exist in Titanrsquos lakes and seas For example some
scientists have suggested that conditions for the existence of methanogenic bacteria present on Earth also exist on Titan
Titanrsquos sub-surface ocean consisting of water and ammonia may also be an environment for some forms of microbial life
IC Where else in the solar system do you think there could be life from simple cell structures to more complex life forms
VKThe best places to look for life in the solar system other than Titan are Enceladus and Europa since they have warm water
oceans beneath their surface If life exists there it may be similar to microbial life found in Earthrsquos deep oceans
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
58
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IC Can you tell us about your future projects
VK My career goal is to inspire as many people as I can about planetary science I am pursuing a career in
planetary science communication I want to bridge the gap between scientists and the public
I would love to work on making museum displays TV shows and movies focusing on planetary science I am
currently unemployed but am looking for new opportunities in planetary science outreach all the time I am
currently working
Connect with Val on aboutme Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Google+
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
59
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various
The species separated about some 6 to 7 million years
back
Humans have co-existed with at least two other human
species - the Neanderthals and the Hobbits of Indonesia
IMAGES TOP RIGHT- Neanderthals
MIDDLE- Hobbits
BOTTOM- Homo Sapiens
When we look at the advantages of intelligence from an
evolutionary point of view we realise it is but a natural
outcome Several other species have also demonstrated
intelligence ndash Crows Whales Octopus
So are we still evolving Our genome is difficult to distin-
guish from the genome of a human from 40000 years
ago But we have and shall continue to change dramati-
cally in terms of culture and technology
Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory
In 1971 scientists introduced 5 adult pairs of the Italian
Wall Lizards to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia In just
a few decades they had evolved features more suitable
to them for their new habitat ndash larger heads harder bite
and a new gut structure
69
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
(Read the story here httpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews200804080421-lizard-evolutionhtml)
Source projectforefrontblogspotcom
70
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
To summarize the observed facts of Evolution
bull Matching of fossils of extinct animals to that of modern animals
bull Examples of natural selection of species adapting to their surroundings Survival of the fittest is a
biological mechanism Birds will occasionally kill their young if they are weak so the surviving ones have
more food When a Cheetah makes a kill itrsquos the prey which runs the slowest which gets killed This also
explains why 99 of all life which has lived on Earth is now extinct
bull Examples of artificial selection (Wolves to Dogs)
bull No two individuals are exactly alike
Resources
1 Life in the Universe By J Bennett S Shostak
2 httpevolutionberkeleyedu
WORDS Henna Khan
henna_khan
Astronomy Science Communicator Skeptic Travel Freak Proponent of Disrupt Education
71
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Chasing Cloudbows
I have always been obsessed with anything in the sky whether it is astronomical
or meteorological I probably wouldnrsquot go as far as saying I was a plane spotter but
I also have a keen interest in military aircraft so I would describe myself as a sky-
watcher So when everyone else was moaning about the thick fog outsidehellipI was
busy packing my camera equipment and tripod The kids were rather intrigued as
to why I was bringing this along on the school run on such an ldquoawful dayrdquo They
are generally used to me having a quick glance out of the window abandoning my
current activity (usually their dinner much to their disgust) and running outside
with my camerahellipbut there was no sunrise sunset clear sky Moon or sound of a
jethellipjust a blanket of grey
I was hoping the reason for my excitement would be revealed when we reached
the school bus stop As we drove up the steep lane from the house the fog was
still like pea soup and I squealed with delight When we reached the pull in at the
top of the lane to wait for the bus the fog was just starting to clear it was becom-
ing daylight and the reason for my excitement was evident A clear sky
I should probably explain my reasons on why this morning was particularly dif-
ferent It is all to do with location We live at about 700ft on the side of a west
facing hill When I look out of my window and see fog it can be a good thing or a
bad thing It is normally determined when driving up to the top of our access lane
(some may call it a drive but that to me means smooth coiffured home entrance)
This is a potholed weather beaten track which leads to the top of the hillhellipand
civilisation Usually at the top (around 900ft) the lsquofogrsquo can usually be identified as
Stratus- the bad thinghellipor radiation valley fog- the good thing Stratus is when the
72
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
lsquofogrsquo basically goes on and on into the sky
with no end a claustrophobic low cloud
that is dismal at its very best Radiation
valley fog (a low lying Stratus) for us on
the side of the hill is quite spectacular as
you can see from this photo Perhaps not
so good for the people living in the village
enveloped within ithellipbut for a cloud spot-
ting photo opportunist this was heaven
Valley fog forms where cold dense air
settles into a valley condensing and forming
fog It is often the result of a temperature
inversion with warmer air passing above
the valley We quite often see it This par-
ticular day was even more exciting Usually
when the valley fog is present we are just
about on the fog line at the house or
it is well below us in the valley as in the
photo above (The photo was taken from
halfway up our track) With the sun about
to rise and plenty of fog below I had the
perfect conditions to try and capture two
of my sought after optical phenomena ndash A
fogbow and a glory
Armed with my camera and tripod I drove
73
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
back into the fog and waited for the sun to rise above the
hill behind me As the sun appeared behind the trees
on the top of the hill I had some great opportunities to
capture some corona This was a spectacular sight
74
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
A corona is produced when light is diffracted by small particles These can be water droplets dust particles
even pollen In this case it was the small water droplets caused by the fog You often see this effect when
the Sun or Moon passes behind a thin cloud The fog was drifting up and down the hill at this point so it was
perfect for playing with different effects
It wasnrsquot long before the Sun had scaled the trees behind and the fog started to retreat down the hillsidehellipthis
was my chance Fogbows or cloudbows are pretty much formed like rainbows and are created when light
passes through water droplets when you are facing opposite the sun The difference is that water droplets in
rainbows are much larger so light is refracted when entering a droplet of water then reflected inside on the
back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it In a fogbow the water droplets are much smaller so
when light hits them they are too small to refract light so light is diffracted by the tiny droplets themselves
to form a much broader and paler bow Light merges into white instead of being separated into the colours
To observe a fogbow you need to have the light source (the sun) behind you The fogbow is then seen at
around an angle of 35 to 40 degrees from your shadow -this is called the antisolar point The fog has to be
below you with the sun strong enough to break through the fog behind This was why I was so excited to
have the fog so high up the hill I could still have the sun behind and the fog just below instead of it being
right down in the valley
I drove halfway down the track and waited for the sun to break through the fog I wasnrsquot disappointed The
fogbow was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be It was an eerie feeling with the fog drowning any
sounds Complete silence cold damp air and what looked like the ghost of a rainbow in front of me
75
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Next came the real challenge- trying to capture a glory The fog was rolling up and down the hill so it seemed
an age with much scrambling up and down walls machinery tree branches and mounds of earth to try and
get the best positionit wasnrsquot easy
Glories are one of the most amazing optical phenomena in my opinion and look like rainbow halos around
the observerrsquos head Although glories look similar to rainbows the way light is scattered to produce them
is slightly different Rainbows are formed by refraction and reflection whereas glories are thought to be
formed by backward diffraction To see them you have to be directly between the sun and the water
refracting droplets (in this case fog) with your shadow facing into the antisolar point A glory is sometimes
76
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
seen from an aeroplane when the sun is directly behind The glory can be seen surrounding the aeroplanersquos
shadow which is cast on the clouds below The formation of glory is not completely understood but it is
known that the light is somehow scattered backwards by water droplets in the fog around a shadow cast at
the antisolar point That shadow is often elongated and ghost like This is called a Brocken Spectre named
after Brocken the highest peak of the German Harz Mountains where climbers saw it at the summit cast
into the clouds below
I didnrsquot have a mountain to stand onhellipbut a
dry stone wall was equally challenging for
me especially as I had to balance with my
camera whilst I was up there But I finally
managed to capture it and it was a fabulous
moment A glory is unique to its observer
That is if a group of people were standing
on that drystone wall with me they would
only be able to see their own glory around
their own shadow and not each othersrsquo So
this was my glory and my special moment
and I was so glad I chased it
So if ever you find yourself halfway up a hill in thick fog make sure you aim for the top reach for the sun and find your
own glory I promise you wonrsquot be disappointed
77
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Article Joolz Wright
farmerswifee
78
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
The Importance of Gravitational Waves and the Formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
In March 2014 one of the most ground breaking discoveries in modern Astrophysics was made That was
the discovery of gravitational waves within the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Confirmation of this
discovery will all but prove inflation took place in the wake of the Big Bang creating the Universe as we
know it But in order to understand gravitational waves first we must look at the CMB and how this relates
to inflation
The CMB is often described as the lsquoechorsquo of the Big Bang A form of electromagnetic radiation it fills the
entire Universe with equal intensity in all directions This phenomenon was discovered in 1968 completely
by accident by two Scientists ndash Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ndash whilst studying the intensity of radio
waves emitted from our galaxy In order to show that the radiation they were detecting was being emitted
by the Milky Way they first had to test for background radiation which they believed would be negligible
Unfortunately for them this wasnrsquot the case No matter where they pointed their antenna they found a
faint background noise outside our galaxy After looking at some calculations and talking with colleagues
they realised they had discovered a blackbody spectrum of around 35K being emitted in all directions in the
Universe They had discovered the CMB
So we know a little about the when the where and the who with regard to the CMB ndash but what actually is
it How was it formed and what does it have to do with gravitational waves and our early Universe
79
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
History of the Universe - gravitational waves are
hypothesized to arise from cosmic inflation a faster-
than-light expansion just after the Big Bang (17 March
2014)source wikipedia
IMAGE BELOW SCISTANDCOM
The early Universe is often talked about in terms
of the first three minutes Now this may not sound
like a long time but it is basically the time when
Scientists believe everything happened
First up came the Plank or Superstring Epoch which
describes the first 10-43seconds Dominated by
radiation the Universe was too hot for anything to
form The quantum effect of gravity was also much
stronger throughout this stage leading Scientists to
believe it was intertwined with the other fundamen-
tal forces (electromagnetic strong nuclear and weak
nuclear) creating a single unified force dominat-
ing the Universe Next came the Grand Unification
Epoch This period of time relies upon the accuracy of
the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) which suggests
that if particles collide at energies above 1014GeV
the strong nuclear force will be combined with the
weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces ndash and at
80
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
even higher energies even gravity would be indistinguishable At energies this high the Universe would
have been so hot and dense no one force could have been separate This stage ended after 10-35seconds
when the Universe underwent a bout of inflation allowing temperature and energy levels to drop enough
for the forces to begin to separate
After this period of rapid expansion came the Hadron Epoch As the name suggests during this period of
time the Universe was filled with hadrons such as protons and neutrons During this phase the Universe
cooled to an extent where the first elements could begin forming out of the lighter hadrons The Universe
would have been a violent place at this time as along with particle formation antiparticles were also created
causing collision and annihilation between particle and antiparticle pairs The last of the four unified forces
also separated creating a very different Universe to how it had been previously
The next period in the development of the Universe ndash the Lepton Epoch ndash lasted until 102seconds after the
Big Bang A Lepton is a particle of light so it was during this phase that the first electron and positron pairs
were created As in the Hadron Epoch a period of annihilation followed until an equilibrium was reached
and the number of protons neutrons and electrons became stable It was now that nucleosynthesis could
begin allowing the first heavy elements to form
The Nuclear Epoch followed and lasted for the next 1000 years With temperatures cooling from 109K to
around 3000K during this time it became cold enough for nuclear fusion between protons and neutrons
to occur Collisions at these temperatures allowed for the creation of a heavy form of Hydrogen ndash known
as Deuteron ndash plus an energy release which was used to fuse another proton to the Deuteron nucleus pro-
ducing Helium-3 Temperatures and radiation levels at this time were still too high to allow the formation of
anything heavier but soon became too low to form new elements This fixed the make-up of the Universe
at 75 Hydrogen 25 Helium and trace amounts of Deuteron Lithium Beryllium and Boron
81
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
After the Nuclear Epoch came Recombination This is where a
proton captures an electron allowing the first neutral atoms
to form Although no light was yet being emitted recombi-
nation would have lifted the veil on the early Universe allow-
ing it to become clear and visible for the first time Radiation
was also now being forced to decouple from the matter it
had always been paired with which allowed gravity to take
over as the dominating force in the Universe Gravity then
began forcing particles of elements together which was the
beginning of all gas star and planet formation which we see
today It is the leftover radiation from this process that we
see today as the CMB
So if the discovery of the CMB was the trigger of proof needed
to suggest that the idea of inflation shortly after the Big Bang
was correct gravitational waves could be the smoking gun
The amplification of gravitational waves through inflation
causing polarization of the radiation emitted from the CMB
could be the proof we needed to usher in a new era in par-
ticle physics
WORDS DAN LUCAS
Photo Steffen RichterHarvard University
dan__lucas
82
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
kidsCorner
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON by J L Kennedy
Twinkle was in the Control Room looking for his magic wand He had searched every other
room in the Space Basehellip
Last night all the Fuzzballs watched the film lsquoHarry Potter and The Philosopherrsquos
83
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Stonersquo and now Twinkle wanted to play at being a wizard just like Harry But how could he
be a wizard without his wand
URGENTmdashTHE MOON IS DISAPPEARING LAST WEEK IT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL -
TONIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE A BANANA PLEASE CAN YOU SAVE IT
FROM JACK amp MILLIE JONES CARDIFF WALES
(TWINS AGED 6)
THANKS FOR MESSAGE
WILL LOOK AT PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY
TWINKLE
(YOUNGEST FUZZBALL IN SPACE BASE)
84
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle stared out of the window Jack and Millie were rightmdashthe Moon did look like a
banana And he was sure it had looked like a football not long ago Something must be seri-
ously wrong Twinkle spun round in panic Maybe if he could just find his wand he could
sort the problem out with a magic spell He searched under the chairs and beneath a pile
of books but had no luck
85
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
ldquoDrew will know how to get the Moon backrdquo muttered Twinkle to himself
He left a note on his fatherrsquos desk lsquoGone to Moon with Drew love Twinklersquo then fled
down the Fuzz Flume to find Drew the Chief Space Engineer
Drew was servicing one of the Comet Rockets
ldquoEmergencyrdquo gasped Twinkle ldquoWe need to fly to the Moonrdquo
ldquoWhy Whatrsquos happenedrdquo asked Drew
86
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sat behind Drew in the cockpit
and seconds later they were weaving
between the stars
ldquoSo Twinkle why are we flying at
full speed towards the Moonrdquo asked
Drew
ldquoWell wersquove had an urgent request
for help from two children in Wales We
must save the Moonrdquo
ldquoTwinkle you arenrsquot making any
senserdquo said Drew ldquoLook - wersquore nearly
there The Moonrsquos in front of us now - I
donrsquot think it needs saving from anything
mdashrdquo
ldquoDrew last week it looked like a
football - now itrsquos a banana Somethingrsquos
eating it or blowing it up or mdashrdquo
Drew laughed and laughed until tears were
running down his furry little face
ldquoTwinkle you can tell the twins that the
Moon isnrsquot shrinking or changing Itrsquos just that
they canrsquot always see all of it Let me explain
The Sun only lights up the side of the moon
facing it Sometimes we can see all of the bright
side ndash thatrsquos a Full Moon -like a football But
most of the time we can only see part of it At
the moment the sun is only shining on a small
portion of the Moon - we call that a Crescent
Moon As you say it looks like a bananardquo
ldquoSurerdquo
ldquoPositiverdquo replied Drew ldquoAnd to prove
87
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
it wersquoll fly around the Moon so you can see that itrsquos all thererdquo
ldquoThank you for letting me know Irsquoll have hot chocolate and cupcakes ready for yourdquo
ldquoYummyrdquo
ldquoOh Twinkle before you gohellip I found your magic wand in my mixing bowlhellip what was
it doing in thererdquo
ldquoThatrsquos where I left it I remember now - I was trying to make fairy cakes appear by
magicrdquo
ldquoSo what happenedrdquo
ldquoNothing The magic didnrsquot work I couldnrsquot get any cakes to appear let alone ones with
fairies on the toprdquo
His mother tried not to laugh ldquoDonrsquot worry Twinkle Irsquoll explain how to make fairy cakes
when you get backrdquo
88
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Twinkle sighed ldquoThanks Mum but I think Irsquove had enough explanations for one day
my headrsquos spinning Irsquoll just eat your cakes and go to bed See you later I must send a
message to Jack and Millie nowhellip tell them the Moonrsquos not turning into a banana Byerdquo
FUZZBALLS AND THE BANANA MOON Copyright copy 2014 J L Kennedy
All rights reserved
More short stories on our website wwwfuzzballscouk
89
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
90
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
60
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
EVOLUTIONldquoIt is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelli-gent that survives It is one that is most adaptable to changerdquo ndash Charles Darwin
All life on Earth can be traced back to the ldquoLast Universal Common Ancestorrdquo which is estimated to have
lived about 35 to 38 billion years back on Earth These earliest organisms have evolved into the diversity
of life on Earth we see today Yes we are distant cousins of the Sunflower the beetle and the blue Whale
61
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Organisms adapt to be better suited to their external environment When the adaptations are carried by an organ-
ism long enough they may form an entirely new species
We see examples of evolution all around us either natural or artificial
We know about bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics Humans have been able to breed wolves into different
62
I C Y S C I E N C E | Q T R 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
species of dogs in just thousands of years Polar bears have naturally evolved from grizzly bears to adapt to
their harsh environment We have artificially modified various food products ndash wild mustard corn and various