[DonLee]

(CNN) -- NASA scientists revealed Friday a first-of-its-kind image from space showing reflecting sunlight from a lake on Saturn's largest moon, Titan.

It's the first visual "smoking gun" evidence of liquid on the northern hemisphere of the moon, scientists said, and the first-ever photo from another planet showing a "specular reflection" -- which is reflection from a liquid surface.

"This is the first time outside Earth we've seen specular reflection from another liquid from another body," said Ralf Jaumann, a scientist analyzing data from the Cassini unmanned space probe.

Jaumann said he was surprised when he first saw the photos transmitting from Cassini, orbiting Saturn about a billion miles from Earth.

"It was great because if you look at photos of planets you mostly see nothing is happening. But in two hours we saw a glint of light getting brighter."

Titan's similarities to Earth have attracted NASA's attention for decades. It's the only body besides our own in the entire solar system that is believed to have liquid on its surface. Like Earth, Titan has an atmosphere which is mostly nitrogen.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/space/1...ion/index.html

Sweet!!! Aliens might be in our own solar system

[TwoListen]

I was reading about how they were hoping to find this a couple years ago.

Where there is liquid, there is life. ...well, sort of. Especially if it's water. Which we apparently aren't that far off of potentially finding on another planet.

Liquid = crap growing in it. Even if it's space algae. That's algae from space.

That's aliens.

That's cool.

[Peter_Coene]

Originally Posted by TwoListen

I was reading about how they were hoping to find this a couple years ago.

Where there is liquid, there is life. ...well, sort of. Especially if it's water. Which we apparently aren't that far off of potentially finding on another planet.

Liquid = crap growing in it. Even if it's space algae. That's algae from space.

That's aliens.

That's cool.

That is only if the liquid can support life. I doubt there's going to be anything living in it if the liquid happens to be a big pool of mercury or something like that.

[TwoListen]

Originally Posted by Peter_Coene

That is only if the liquid can support life. I doubt there's going to be anything living in it if the liquid happens to be a big pool of mercury or something like that.

That is true, but given the amount of ice out there, it's bound to happen eventually.

[JasonRainville]

Originally Posted by Peter_Coene

That is only if the liquid can support life. I doubt there's going to be anything living in it if the liquid happens to be a big pool of mercury or something like that.

First off, how do you know water is the only liquid that can support life (or for that matter, that liquid is the only medium where life can develop)? Life is afterall chemistry, and if molecules can self-replicate in other media (it would be nice to do some digging and find out for sure) then hey, we're in business.

Second, the liquid in question is liquid methane, since Titan is so damn cold.

[Peter_Coene]

Originally Posted by JasonRainville

First off, how do you know water is the only liquid that can support life (or for that matter, that liquid is the only medium where life can develop)? Life is afterall chemistry, and if molecules can self-replicate in other media (it would be nice to do some digging and find out for sure) then hey, we're in business.

Second, the liquid in question is liquid methane, since Titan is so damn cold.

Lol, I never said water is the only liquid that can; if I remember correctly some scientists believe the first life on earth developed in sulfuric acid. I was just speculating that liquid does not necessarily equate to life being there.

Also, life is biology. I make this distinction because although life does require aspects of chemistry a simple chemical reaction such as oxidation does not prove the existence of life... even though life does make use of such reactions.

[Dahlias]

Did you read those comments? It's amazing how much people have to say.

Likewise here though, but I think our discussion's 500% more awesome. Albeit the too deep.

[JasonRainville]

Originally Posted by Peter_Coene

Lol, I never said water is the only liquid that can

Whoops! I read that wrong. Sorry

[Dy-lanea]

I'm patiently awaiting for the little grey dudes to reveal them selfs.

[MikeCorriero]

Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather see a couple dozen varying species of alien wild life rather than an intelligent race dominating the planet/moon.

[Peter_Coene]

so that's where the owl I see at night comes from :P

[geckzilla]

Intelligent life unlikely... look how hard it is to find even here on Earth. No, really, think of all the millions of species which have evolved here and we're the only species sporting iPhones and having panic attacks at the mere thought of Lost getting bumped by a speech.

[Dy-lanea]

I think it's awesome that we don't fit into any specific niche in nature like most animals. More like we can create our own niche that we fit into.

I think it's very interesting how we have basically chosen to consume every possible resource avaliable that allows us to grow more. If we were capable, we would consume every inch of the cosmos as far as our arms could reach

[acrossthestars]

Originally Posted by geckzilla

Intelligent life unlikely... look how hard it is to find even here on Earth. No, really, think of all the millions of species which have evolved here and we're the only species sporting iPhones and having panic attacks at the mere thought of Lost getting bumped by a speech.

An intelligent and cute answer to grab your attention :]

[FreddyScribbles]

Of course, the ecologist in me almost hopes we never find 'alien life' because historically, the human scientific approach usually involves killing it and dissecting it.

Like...Ooo, awesome, alien! Let's shoot it and open it up!

Besides...reckon we'll have enough trouble with the million year old bacteria I think they were busy waking up in a laboratory somewhere. Still...space liquids are pretty nifty. Esp. when it's something other than Tang.