Odd Spot on Titan Baffles Scientists

May 25, 2005 12:26 PM

Unidentified Titan ObjectSaturn's moon Titan shows an unusual bright spot that has scientists mystified. The spot, approximately the size and shape of West Virginia, is just southeast of the bright region called Xanadu and is visible to multiple instruments on the Cassini spacecraft.
posted by Diamornte (32 comments total)

It's a trap!
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:36 PM on May 25, 2005

A massive tobacco farming operation? A bunch of moonshine-makin'? Just guessing on the basis of the information provided here. Scientists wouldn't bring West Virginia into the equation for no reason at all, would they?
posted by kozad at 12:40 PM on May 25, 2005

Monolith?
posted by mkultra at 12:42 PM on May 25, 2005

prophet yahweh is summoning the mothership.
posted by quonsar at 12:46 PM on May 25, 2005

It's part of an advertising campaign for a new detergent. "Removes even toughest, most inhospitable spots...." Thanks for the heads-up, Diamornte!
posted by steef at 12:49 PM on May 25, 2005

Unk and Boaz were stranded on Mercury, so I doubt it's them, althought it could be a second coming of the Martian Army, with a Cruise/Cruz/Holmes tie-in.
posted by jsavimbi at 12:51 PM on May 25, 2005

Might explain why drunken hillbillies are always seein' weird shit in their cornfields.
posted by drakepool at 12:58 PM on May 25, 2005

If you fly into the bright spot will you go through a colorful and sorta psychedelic (thought a bit cryptic and self-indulgent by the director and certainly way too long for most film audiences) journey to a cosmic hotel room owned by the monolith beings and then become a transcendent "Star Child"?
posted by Pollomacho at 1:04 PM on May 25, 2005

As a West Virgineer I'm insulted. cant ya'll see its a Strip mine?
Hey I think I see Robert Byrd.......yeeeeee haw!
posted by Yer-Ol-Pal at 1:08 PM on May 25, 2005

I welcome our unusual bright spot overlords.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 1:16 PM on May 25, 2005

just southeast of the bright region called Xanadu

It's clearly a stately pleasure dome.
posted by flashboy at 1:18 PM on May 25, 2005

Ker-blam! In 2010 we will have two suns and the world will be more peaceful (A.C. Clarke)
posted by Schroder at 1:30 PM on May 25, 2005

It's clearly a stately pleasure dome.

No such luck; it's Olivia Newton-John.

Run for your lives!!!
posted by yhbc at 1:35 PM on May 25, 2005

just southeast of the bright region called Xanadu

Rosebud?
posted by kika at 1:48 PM on May 25, 2005

This bright spot. It vibrates?
posted by Jon-o at 1:56 PM on May 25, 2005

Clearly a side effect of the occultation of Uranus. Avert your eyes.
posted by CynicalKnight at 2:14 PM on May 25, 2005

Glowing pancakes?
posted by Zurishaddai at 2:17 PM on May 25, 2005

...I meant pancakes...
posted by Zurishaddai at 2:18 PM on May 25, 2005

This thing... it looks like a face.
posted by c13 at 2:40 PM on May 25, 2005

My God! It's full of stars!
posted by senor biggles at 2:44 PM on May 25, 2005

You know, that looks quite similar to those mysterious white blobs on Google Maps.
posted by catachresoid at 2:47 PM on May 25, 2005

just southeast of the bright region called Xanadu

It's clearly a stately pleasure dome.

I love you, flashboy.
posted by headspace at 3:19 PM on May 25, 2005

That's my ride. See y'all later!
posted by monju_bosatsu at 3:47 PM on May 25, 2005

I'm telling you right now, LEAVE EUROPA ALONE.
posted by shmegegge at 3:47 PM on May 25, 2005

No no no. It's a big mountain made entirely of diamond, you know, from when Jupiter exploded and became a star?

Oh... wait.

Darn it.
posted by zoogleplex at 6:42 PM on May 25, 2005

That's no moon; that's a space station!
posted by alumshubby at 7:27 PM on May 25, 2005

Forty bucks says it's a billboard. Probably for Space Pepsi.
posted by Samsonov14 at 7:45 PM on May 25, 2005

My God! It's full of stars!
posted by senor biggles at 2:44 PM PST on May 25 [!]

Nice.
posted by ciderwoman at 3:35 AM on May 26, 2005

A massive marklar farming marklar? A bunch of marklar-makin'? Just guessing on the marklar of the marklar provided here. Scientists wouldn't marklar West Marklar into the equation for no marklar at all, would they?
posted by jenden at 7:46 AM on May 26, 2005

statley pleasure dome
that's pretty funny.

It's full of stars!
what is that from?
posted by firemouth at 2:19 PM on May 26, 2005

firemouth writes "It's full of stars!
"what is that from?"

Pollomacho writes " If you fly into the bright spot will you go through a colorful and sorta psychedelic (thought a bit cryptic and self-indulgent by the director and certainly way too long for most film audiences) journey to a cosmic hotel room owned by the monolith beings and then become a transcendent 'Star Child'?"

Just trying to help.
posted by asok at 6:19 PM on May 26, 2005

We're all doomed by mysterious phenomenon.
posted by troutfishing at 9:57 PM on May 29, 2005