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Scientists just answered a huge question about one of Saturn's moons

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cassini titan canyon methane vid flumina

The Grand Canyon is one of the most majestic spots on Earth, and a stunning testament to the power liquid has to shape rock.

But scientists just announced it isn't alone in the universe. On Saturn's largest moon, Titan, rivers of liquid methane flow through canyons as tall as a skyscraper.

A few years ago, the Cassini spacecraft sent back some odd images from a flight it made near the moon's surface around the north pole. They showed a network of dark spidery channels.

The scientists thought they could be liquid methane, since the channels looked glossy and dark, like the moon's methane lakes.

titan saturn moon 2So they went back, this time sending radar pings down from the spacecraft. The pings that echoed back told the researchers that the surface of the channels were very smooth. That means the channels themselvs are full of liquid.

The authors of the new study, which was published in Geophysical Research Letters, think the canyons were carved by changing levels of liquid methane in Titan's lakes and valleys.

SEE ALSO: Here's the simple tool scientists hope will unravel the mystery of how Jupiter came to be

NEXT UP: Here's why NASA is planning to fire lasers on Mars

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NOW WATCH: Scientists are gearing up for a space mission that could solve the biggest mystery about Saturn's water-rich moon


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