Unfamiliar, alien places are always the first to capture my attention. Be it a new bookshelf we come across in the library or read an article about a strange, icy world millions of miles away from home, we all take more pleasure in recognizing the bizarre rather than the so-called ordinary. Truth is everything in the universe is bizarre in some way or the other. Why then, in a remote corner of the Universe, in a remote corner of a spiral galaxy, would there be the astounding Solar System we know? Even more bizarre is the fact that this Solar System houses our home planet and this home is the perfect, I really do mean perfect, distance from the Sun to host life! Our world is just full of surprises, jaw-dropping enigmas, and breath-taking sights. Let us now begin our journey, to witness and be bewildered by just a few of some of the strangest places in the Solar System.
1. Tour package one: Mars waters
Mars is one of the grossing destinations in the Solar System for sci-fi and for space exploration. The deep underlying mystery hiding the truth behind why the planet is intensely barren is what drives scientists’ curiosity to uncover its secrets. However, is Mars truly barren? Last year, the scientific realm was taken by shock by the discovery of water on Mars. This is the interesting bit: the water discovered on Mars flows! Yet, this isn’t exactly like the water we know.. The average temperature on Mars is about -55°C, yet it isn’t frozen. The water on Mars flows below the surface and is exceptionally salty (brine) with several other hydrated salts dissolved in solution. It is this combination that dramatically reduces the freezing point of the water. If the water flows in channels hidden from direct sight, how was the presence of flowing water confirmed? Images from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter(MRO) showed unusually dark streaks visible in the picture above – recurring slope linae(RSL). Further studies revealed that the streaks were caused by hydrated minerals called perchlorates in regions where RSL were extremely wide. Lujendra Ojha of the Georgia Institute of Technology and colleagues interpret that the presence of a shallow subsurface flow with adequate water to seep to the surface would create the distinguishable dark streaks of perchlorates. Now, mankind can strike off one more myth: water exists on Mars. Perhaps someday when we send humans to Mars, we will have the technology to extract, purify and utilise this water.
2. Tour package two: Paradise on Io
Imagine a world with almost no solid surface, covered in glowing, orangey liquid with dramatic smoke effects all the time, 24/7. In addition to all these, you will be away from the hustle and bustle of Earth at a distance of only 628 million kilometres from Earth! If weather permits, you will also have a spectacular view of the largest planet in the Solar System – Jupiter. Moreover, you can always go for a ski at the Io snowfields! Welcome to Jupiter’s third largest moon – Io! There is only one disadvantage though, the atmosphere is almost entirely sulphur dioxide, and the orange liquid, is hot lava… Oh, and one more thing, the snowfields, are sulphur dioxide too. This Galilean moon is sheer chaos. Volcanoes and lava vents scatter the landscape like icing sugar (as seen by the picture above) and this moon is literally churning itself inside out! Slightly larger than our moon, Io has a slight elliptical shape. Apart from Earth, Io is the only place in the Solar System to have active volcanoes. One finding reveals a rather interesting bit of data; Io’s average temperature is -130°C. This undoubtedly seems rather contradictory to the fact that Io is constantly repaving its surface. A delightful phenomenon beautifully accounts for this freezing fiery behaviour of Io. Io follows a highly elliptical orbit around Jupiter. Jupiter’s gravity varies at different points in Io’s orbit, stretching and squeezing it. This simple yet colossal action literally squeezes out the molten rock to the surface, releasing pools of lava and plumes of sulphur dioxide. Temperatures in its volcanoes reach up to 3000°F. In addition, Io offers the perfect, eternal solution to all your electricity issues too! It is not only an orange paradise, but is also a 24/7 generator with absolutely no fuel charges! Io’s elliptical orbit slices through Jupiter’s magnetic field and transforms it into a 1,131.7 mile wide generator. Whether or not anyone ever decides to take a vacation at Io, one thing I am convinced about is that no one on Io should ever face power cuts!
3. Tour package three: Titan Cruises
Enjoy smooth sailing on luxurious cruises with Titan Cruises, at only 1,221, 870 km from the ringed planet Saturn! At -179°C, sail on seas and lakes of complex hydrocarbons including methane and ethane while viewing rock-hard ice and organic rain! A map of Titan’s lakes is given above using data from Cassini. Get 50% discount on school field trips as Titan offers a window into prehistoric Earth! Scientists predict that in the future, Titan will have suitable conditions to harbour life as the sun’s temperature increases and warms up Titan. This will create stable oceans that will be similar to conditions on early earth, supporting life for microorganisms. This is strengthened by the fact that 95% of Titan’s atmosphere is nitrogen while the remaining 5% is methane. Ships are at an advantage as there will be no war for fuel here! However, this might not be the ideal destination for relaxing in beaches with the melodious music of waves hitting your ears – there are no signs of wave action on Titan. Titan undoubtedly has wind as supported by data from Cassini and the Huygens probe that show sand dunes similar to deserts on Earth, then why are there no waves on this moon? While some theories suggest that the lakes may be covered in a tar-like substance, Alex Hayes – a planetary scientist on the Cassini radar team – suggests that perhaps the wind isn’t blowing hard enough on Titan to allow waves to form in its northern hemisphere where most lakes are as cold air does not stir as much. As solstice on Titan’s northern hemisphere approaches in 2017, heat from the sun should allow air to circulate more rapidly, resulting in distinct wave patterns. As of now, please avoid surfing on Titan’s seas!
4. Tour package four: Roaring Saturn
We all know Saturn for its magnificent rings and plethora of moons. In addition to viewing these delights, there is one sight that few have heard of – the hexagonal storm. This curiously shaped storm rages and wreaks havoc in the north pole of the Queen of the Solar System. Over 32,000 kilometres wide, thermal images have led scientists to come to the conclusion that this storm may be 100km deep into Saturnian atmosphere. What sets this storm apart from all others in the Solar System is its regular polygon structure with equal length sides, and its symmetry. This strange phenomena is similar to water swirling in a bucket which generates whirlpools with holes of geometric shapes. However, Saturn is no giant bucket. How can one explain this peculiar storm? Through data from Voyager and Cassini, researchers have come up with several models. Computer simulations were made that depicted an eastward curving jet flow close to Saturn’s north pole. Disturbances caused by interference with other surrounding wind currents mould the storm into a hexagonal shape. Several other models with different inputs produce storms with several creative shapes like six-pointed stars. Our Solar System may not be very random at all!
5. Tour package five: Dazzling Duo - Uranus & Neptune
This is the perfect honeymoon destination to gift your bride with something she loves! Win an underground safari to the seas of Uranus and Neptune and get the chance to handpick fresh diamonds for your loved one. However, you are warned that the ride to the seas may involve a journey of up to 25,000km and pressures more than 11 million atmospheres at sea level on Earth! Diamonds are not only distinctive for their shine, but also for their unique characteristics. J. H. Eggert of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore and colleagues studied the behaviour of diamond at high temperatures and pressures to mimic the conditions found in Uranus and Neptune. This involved using temperatures of 50,000degrees and pressures of 11atmospheres, at which solid pieces of diamond began appearing. Although they kept dropping the pressure, the temperature of the diamond was constant and solid diamond formation continued. What’s even more interesting is that this diamond did not sink, it floated on a “sea” of diamond! The diamond showed classic characteristics of water. This observation supports the hypothesis that oceans of liquid and solid diamond are possible on Uranus and Neptune. Both planets consist of significant volumes of methane; 2% of Uranus and 1.5% of Neptune; which can decompose to carbon at high temperatures and pressures, eventually resulting in the formation of diamonds. Are diamonds really that rare after all?
With Mystic Tours, you are guaranteed to have the holiday of a lifetime! Inclusive in the package is also the realisation of the limitless creativity of the world around us, the nostalgic sights hidden from view, and the realisation of how fortunate we are to live in a world where we have the ability to learn about this incredible creations…
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