Scientists Found a Strange Molecule in Titan's Atmosphere
NASA's scientists have found a molecule which is completely unknown and this is the first time that the molecule has been detected in Titan' atmosphere. The name of this molecule is cyclopropenylidene or C3H2 which has not been detected in any other atmosphere. Scientists say that this simple carbon-based molecule may be a precursor to more complex compounds that could form or feed possible life on Titan.
Scientists used a radio telescope observatory in northern Chile known as the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). They found the compound is made of carbon and hydrogen
“When I realized I was looking at cyclopropenylidene, my first thought was, ‘Well, this is really unexpected,’” said Conor Nixon. He is a planetary scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland and he led the ALMA search.
Cyclopropenylidene can react easily with other molecules when it comes with contact with those molecules and form different species. Scientists have so far found C3H2 only in clouds of gas and dust that float between star systems and regions which is too cold.
NASA will conduct Dragonfly mission to investigate Titan. “Titan is unique in our solar system. It has proved to be a treasure trove of new molecules.” Nixon said.
Titan is the largest Moon of Saturn. Titan has a thick atmosphere that is four times denser than Earth’s, plus clouds, rain, lakes and rivers, and even a subsurface ocean of salty water.
Titan’s atmosphere is made mostly of nitrogen, like Earth’s, with a hint of methane. When methane and nitrogen molecules break apart under the glare of the Sun, their component atoms unleash a complex web of organic chemistry that has captivated scientists and thrust this moon to the top of the list of the most important targets in NASA’s search for present or past life in the solar system.
Scientists said, "the types of molecules that might be sitting on Titan’s surface could be the same ones that formed the building blocks of life on Earth. Early in its history, 3.8 to 2.5 billion years ago, when methane filled Earth’s air instead of oxygen, conditions here could have been similar to those on Titan today. Finding molecules like C3H2 is really important in seeing the big picture of Titan: Every little piece and part you can discover can help you put together the huge puzzle of all the things going on there.”
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