Oxygen found on Saturn's moon Rhea

I think this is awesome, finally proof of oxygen on other worlds.

A spacecraft has tasted oxygen in the atmosphere of another world for the first time while flying low over Saturn's icy moon, Rhea.

Nasa's Cassini probe scooped oxygen from the thin atmosphere of the planet's moon while passing overhead at an altitude of 97km in March this year.

Until now, wisps of oxygen have only been detected on planets and their moons indirectly, using the Hubble space telescope and other major facilities.

Instruments aboard Cassini revealed an extremely thin oxygen and carbon dioxide atmosphere that is sustained by high-energy particles slamming into the moon's surface and kicking up atoms, molecules and ions.

Astronomers have counted 62 moons orbiting Saturn. At 1500km wide, Rhea is the second largest and is thought to be made almost entirely of ice.

Read More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/20...turn-moon-rhea

[Raptor1]

Originally Posted by Solace

I think this is awesome, finally proof of oxygen on other worlds.

I thought there was already proof of trace amounts of oxygen in the Martian atmosphere...

[TarJak]

Well there is oxygen on just about every rock in the solar system. Sometimes it's bound to other atoms forming other molecules like CO2 or sometimes it is free of other atoms.

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by Raptor1

I thought there was already proof of trace amounts of oxygen in the Martian atmosphere...

Yes. 0.1 percent by volume of the Martian atmosphere is oxygen.

[Platapus]

While this is cool. It is not a first.

http://www.space.com/scienceastronom...ut_040202.html

Oxygen at Extrasolar Planet, a First

Originally Posted by Platapus

While this is cool. It is not a first.

http://www.space.com/scienceastronom...ut_040202.html

Oxygen at Extrasolar Planet, a First

You go to Space.com too? I find articles there very interesting.

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by Solace

You go to Space.com too? I find articles there very interesting.

One of the cooleoest !

Originally Posted by Platapus

One of the cooleoest !

Dayum straight

[GoldenRivet]

let me know when they swoop a probe down that comes back saying they have found a planet that meets the following criteria:

21% Oxygen
79% Nitrogen
1% misc other gasses

30.00 " HG air pressure

65-100 degrees F

51 inches annual rainfall

40-90% Relative Humidity

soil composition is mostly tropical and subtropical beach, with abundant fruit and fresh water

native life forms are desperate humanoid women who have spent millions of years perfecting the art of brewing beer, preparing seafood and distilling liquor solely based on the religious concept that a "Bearded Man God" would one day descend from heaven in a metal egg to bring forth a sexual Renaissance thereby saving their existence for all time...







until then, I'll hold off on my excitement.

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

let me know when they swoop a probe down that comes back saying they have found a planet that meets the following criteria:

21% Oxygen
79% Nitrogen
1% misc other gasses

30.00 " HG air pressure

65-100 degrees F

51 inches annual rainfall

40-90% Relative Humidity

soil composition is mostly tropical and subtropical beach, with abundant fruit and fresh water

native life forms are desperate humanoid women who have spent millions of years perfecting the art of brewing beer, preparing seafood and distilling liquor solely based on the religious concept that a "Bearded Man God" would one day descend from heaven in a metal egg to bring forth a sexual Renaissance thereby saving their existence for all time...







until then, I'll hold off on my excitement.

You are just wanting to fly. That ticket.