Titan's surface might be doing something impossible: Chemistry
A collaboration between NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab and Chalmers University of Technology has uncovered a surprising chemical mix-up on Titan, Saturn's largest moon.
Turns out, frozen hydrogen cyanide—usually a polar molecule—can trap non-polar methane and ethane inside its icy crystals.
That's not supposed to happen, at least according to what we learned in chemistry class.
NASA, Chalmers University recreate Titan's frigid surface
By recreating Titan's frigid surface (about -179°C), NASA and Chalmers University scientists showed that non-polar gasses like methane and ethane can actually sneak into hydrogen cyanide's crystal structure.
This forms stable "co-crystals"—something traditional chemistry says shouldn't work.
The results also match laboratory measurements conducted under Titan-like conditions.
What does this mean for life?
Hydrogen cyanide is a key ingredient for life's building blocks, so this discovery hints that Titan's surface and atmosphere might be mixing in more complex ways than we thought.
With NASA's Dragonfly mission landing there in 2034, we'll soon get to see what else Titan is hiding beneath its icy surface.