>Astronomers found an entirely unexpected feature on Titan, Saturn's largest moon, this year: a ribbon of exposed bedrock ice that wraps nearly halfway around the satellite. This unique feature came into view thanks to a recently developed analysis technique never before used on Titan. Researchers had previously spotted surprisingly diverse landscapes on the moon, from broad plains to sandy dunes and even rivers and lakes. Since the world is so cold, these features are made up of liquid methane and other organic compounds that slosh over a bedrock of solid, rock-hard ice. But it's tough to get good observations of the surface, because the moon's atmosphere is so dense and hazy.
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