We've got a new mystery on our hands': Titan's weird wobble just got even stranger

[Admin]

New research reveals more about why Saturn's large moon tilts, a puzzle that has intrigued scientists for decades.

We've got a new mystery on our hands': Titan's weird wobble just got even stranger : Read more

 

[billslugg]

The atmosphere of Titan is very thick, about 900 km. If the atmosphere were to be set into motion by an external force such that it began rotating on an axis tilted to the moon's rotational axis, then it might take a very long time for the moon's rotation to couple sufficient angular momentum to the displaced atmosphere to get it aligned again. Given that Titan is tidally locked to Saturn, its rotation rate is very low, only once every 15 Earth days.