top of page

All reports

August 2017 - The Solar Eclipse

Report #30 - July 2017

A "Lively" Discovery on Titan

A false-colored image created from infrared data collected by the Cassini spacecraft. Credit: NASA, http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/features/2014/cassini100.html

An artist's interpretation of NASA's Cassini spacecraft and Saturn. Credit: NASA, http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/features/2014/cassini100.html

In the active search to find any sign, big or small, of life beyond Earth, NASA's Cassini spacecraft has picked up on a certain complex molecule known as "vinyl cyanide" lurking on Saturn's largest moon, Titan. In fact, data gathered from the Atacama Large Millimeter Array in Chile indicates that there is a great abundance of this fascinating molecule in Titan's atmosphere. 

What's So Special About Vinyl Cyanide?

The molecule Vinyl Cyanide can potentially be an important ingredient in forming cell membranes in Titan's cold conditions, opening another opportunity for the existence of life beyond our green and blue planet. Cell membranes, or "structures [similar] to them," as said by Mallory Locklear, author of the article A molecule found on Saturn's moon Titan could foster life, are vital for living things on Earth, for they form the "outer barrier," or boundary, of cells. While, on Earth, liquid water is necessary to create lipids, "fatty molecules" that make up cell membranes, it is believed that the vast amount of liquid nitrogen on Titan, along with Vinyl Cyanide, might just be the right combination to form cell membranes on Titan. 

An artist's interpretation of Vinyl Cyanide depicted on Titan. Credit: B. Saxton / NRAO / AUI / NSF / NASA, http://www.sci-news.com/space/vinyl-cyanide-titan-05084.html

What Does This Mean For Life Beyond Earth?

Because of the discovery of Vinyl Cyanide in Titan's atmosphere and the high likelihood that methane circulates from the moon's atmosphere to its oceans and back via rain and evaporation, like water does on Earth, there's an even greater chance that Vinyl Cyanides exists within Titan's methane-filled lakes. With the possibility of cell membranes-like structures being formed in those lakes, one wonders if there's a chance life may exist within. While there's no harm in hoping, Martin Cordiner, an author of the research report regarding the Titan Vinyl Cyanide study, stresses that "'This is a far cry from saying [life] definitely happens on Titan and these cells are involved in some kind of primitive life.'" Nonetheless, it goes without saying that Saturn's moon, Titan, shouldn't be left out in the fervent search for extraterrestrial life. 

bottom of page