Ligeia Mare

Ligeia Mare - the name is Latin and means Ligeia , a Greek legendary figure - is the name for a lake made of methane on the Saturn satellite Titan .

The lake measures approximately 500 km, has an area of 126,000 km² and is located at 79.0 ° N / 248.0 W. The depth of the lake, which is mostly filled with methane, is an average of 170 m, and at the deepest point a maximum of 210 m. Because the content of the lake is transparent to radar beams (also because of the flat surface), Cassini was able to look to the bottom and thus measure the depth.

Geographical features

The rugged coast of Ligeia Mare is interrupted by bays of various sizes. Some stretches of coast form flat beaches and mud flats made of methane. In other places the coast is rougher and more hilly. A layer of organic compounds has deposited at the bottom of the lake.

inflow

Evidence of methane rain and its drainage was provided by images taken by the Cassini spacecraft, which show a 400 km long river flowing into the lake. This was named Vid Flumina after a river in Norse mythology .