 Infrared sunlight glinting off Kivu Lacus | |
| Feature type | Lacus |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 87°N121°W / 87°N 121°W |
| Diameter | 77.5 km (48 mi) [1] |
| Eponym | Lake Kivu |
Kivu Lacus is a small Titanean hydrocarbon lake. It was discovered by the Cassini probe. The lake is near Titan's north pole and is named after Lake Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. In 2012, Cassini spotted an Infrared glint off the lake. The aspects of it suggested waves. [2]
Titan is the largest moon of Saturn and the second-largest in the Solar System. It is the only moon known to have an atmosphere denser than the Earth's and is the only known object in space—other than Earth—on which there is clear evidence that stable bodies of liquid exist. Titan is one of seven gravitationally rounded moons of Saturn and the second-most distant among them. Frequently described as a planet-like moon, Titan is 50% larger in diameter than Earth's Moon and 80% more massive. It is the second-largest moon in the Solar System after Jupiter's Ganymede and is larger than Mercury; yet Titan is only 40% as massive as Mercury, because Mercury is mainly iron and rock while much of Titan is ice, which is less dense.
Ontario Lacus is a lake composed of methane, ethane and propane near the south pole of Saturn's moon Titan. Its character as a hydrocarbon lake was confirmed by observations from the Cassini spacecraft, published in the 31 July 2008 edition of Nature. Ontario Lacus has a surface area of about 15,000 square kilometers (5,800 sq mi), about 20% smaller than its terrestrial namesake, Lake Ontario in North America. In April 2012, it was announced that it may be more like a mudflat or salt pan.
Lakes of liquid ethane and methane exist on the surface of Titan, Saturn's largest moon. This was confirmed by the Cassini–Huygens space probe, as had been suspected since the 1980s. The large bodies of liquid are known as maria (seas) and the small ones as lacūs (lakes).
Kraken Mare is the largest known hydrocarbon sea on the surface of Saturn's moon Titan. It was discovered by the space probe Cassini in 2006, and was named in 2008 after the Kraken, a legendary sea monster. It covers an area slightly bigger than the Caspian Sea on Earth, making it the largest known lake in the Solar System.
Ligeia Mare is a lake in the north polar region of Titan, the planet Saturn's largest moon. It is the second largest body of liquid on the surface of Titan, after Kraken Mare. Larger than Lake Superior on Earth, it is mostly composed of liquid methane, with unknown but lesser components of dissolved nitrogen and ethane, as well as other organic compounds. It is located at 78° N, 249° W, and has been fully imaged by the Cassini spacecraft. Measuring roughly 420 km (260 mi) by 350 km (217 mi) across, it has a surface area of about 126,000 km2, and a shoreline over 2,000 km (1,240 mi) in length. The lake may be hydrologically connected to the larger Kraken Mare. Its namesake is Ligeia, one of the sirens in Greek mythology.
Jingpo Lacus is a lake in the north polar region of Titan, the planet Saturn's largest moon. It and similarly sized Ontario Lacus are the largest known bodies of liquid on Titan after the three maria. It is composed of liquid hydrocarbons. It is west of Kraken Mare at 73° N, 336° W, roughly 240 km long, similar to the length of Lake Onega on Earth. Its namesake is Jingpo Lake, a lake in China.
Mackay Lacus is the seventh largest of a number of hydrocarbon seas and lakes found on Saturn's largest moon, Titan. The lake is composed of liquid methane and ethane, and was detected by the Cassini space probe.
Abaya Lacus is one of a number of hydrocarbon lakes found on Saturn's largest moon, Titan.
Bolsena Lacus is one of a number of hydrocarbon lakes found on Saturn's largest moon, Titan.
Neagh Lacus is one of a number of hydrocarbon lakes found on Saturn's largest moon, Titan. The lake is composed of liquid methane and ethane, and was detected by the Cassini space probe.
Sotonera Lacus is one of a number of hydrocarbon lakes found on Saturn's largest moon, Titan.
Hammar Lacus is one of a number of hydrocarbon seas and lakes found on Saturn's largest moon, Titan.
Feia Lacus is one of a number of hydrocarbon seas and lakes found on Saturn's largest moon, Titan. It was named in 2007 on the basis of data taken by the space probe Cassini.
Koitere Lacus is one of a number of hydrocarbon lakes found on Saturn's largest moon, Titan. The lake is composed of liquid methane and ethane, and was detected by the space probe Cassini.
Müggel Lacus is one of a number of hydrocarbon seas and lakes found on Saturn's largest moon, Titan.
Ladoga Lacus is a geographical feature on Saturn's largest moon, Titan, named after Lake Ladoga, Russia. It is one of a number of "methane lakes" found in Titan's north polar region.
Albano Lacus is one of a number of hydrocarbon lakes found on Saturn's largest moon, Titan.
Kivu was the name for a large "Region" in the Democratic Republic of Congo under the rule of Mobutu Sese Seko.
The geology of Titan encompasses the geological characteristics of Titan, the largest moon of Saturn. Titan's density of 1.881 g/cm3 indicates that it is roughly 40–60% rock by mass, with the rest being water ice and other materials. It is differentiated into a rocky core, liquid water ocean, and an icy shell; the core and ocean may be partitioned by a layer of exotic high-pressure ices, and the icy shell may have a chemically distinct surface crust.
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