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takyon writes:

Alien Crystals Unlike Any Found on Earth Might Encrust The Edges of Titan's Lakes

Scientists have recreated Titan-like conditions in a lab, and found that organic molecules from Titan's atmosphere could be forming rings of alien crystals around the methane lakes that dot the Saturn moon's surface.

Previously, the team led by researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory had discovered two of these 'molecular minerals'. Now they've discovered a third, made of acetylene and butane, and believe it could be the most abundant one yet.

"We have demonstrated previously that some organic molecules readily form co-crystals in Titan-relevant conditions, including acetylene," they write in a conference abstract presented this week.

"We report here preliminary evidence for a third co-crystal between acetylene and butane, which could be the most common molecular mineral discovered so far."

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