Scientists discover 'tropical' lake of methane near equator of Saturn's largest moon Titan (not bad for a planet with a surface temperature of -279F)

Scientists discover 'tropical' lake of methane near equator of Saturn's largest moon Titan It was previously believed that bodies of liquid could not exist at Titan's midsection because energy from the sun would cause pools to evaporate Scientists have discovered a methane-rich tropical lake and several ponds near the equator of Saturn's largest moon Titan. Lakes were previously spied near Titan's polar regions but it was previously believed that bodies of liquid could not exist at Titan's midsection because energy from the sun at those latitudes would cause methane pools to evaporate. A new study suggests the dark areas near the moon's equator indicate the presence of a hydrocarbon lake and several ponds By measuring reflected sunlight from Titan's surface and atmosphere, the international Cassini spacecraft detected a dark region near the landing site of Huygens, a companion probe that parachuted to Titan's equator in 2005. Scientists said further analysis of the dark feature suggests the presence of a 927-square-mile hydrocarbon lake - twice as big as Lake Champlain, a freshwater lake that borders upstate New York and Vermont.