/sci/ - Science & Math

>>7703263
>If a large moon such as, say, Callisto or Titan, broke free of their planet's gravity and formed a new one which was clear of debris (such as in the void between planets) would it be classified as a planet or something along the lines of a 'rogue lunar body?'
Titan is larger than Mercury (though much lighter), and defiantly in hydrostatic equilibrium. If it cleared its orbit it'd be a planet, and if not it'd be a dwarf planet. Callisto is smaller, but not by much.

>>7703309
Now there's a hell of a photograph.

>>7703320
The surface of Pluto is fucking awesome.
I grew up with astronomy books that told be it was a featureless ball of nitrogen ice. Now we know it has mountains and valleys and weird tiled-plains.
You could actually walk (actually bounce: 0.62 m/s2) down those cracks between the plains, and see down the length to the great intersections.
It's a goddamn place.

>>7703333
Charon though... isn't as great. It's not quite a "gray space rock", but it's close.

>>7703472
>Phobos and Deimos are the most pathetic moons in the Solar System
They're remarkably pathetic though.
Every other planet either has no moons, or at least one interesting moon. Mars just gets a pair of lost boulders.

>>7703410
>wait one fucking second
Liquid water is a major component of Titan's interior.

>>7705653
No, but there are lakes and rivers of liquid methane on the surface.

>>7703847
>Can stars fuse beyond iron?
Yes, but it takes more energy then it provides.

>If so how do elements beyond iron come about?
Really big, failing stars.

>Does that mean black holes are made of iron?
Black holes aren't really made of any traditional material.

>>7703981
>how do they know there liquid water miles within a moon's crust, if, you know, weve never actually been there
There's a decent piece here about it here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titan_(moon)#Bulk_characteristics
Astrogeology must be a really challenging field, though.