Plastic chemical found in Titan’s atmosphere
PASADENA, Calif. – You expect to find plastics in your lunch box, not on a moon of Saturn.
But that’s exactly where NASA found an ingredient of plastic – the first time the chemical has been detected on another world.
The Cassini spacecraft found small amounts of propylene, a chemical used to make storage containers and other products, in the atmosphere of Saturn’s largest moon Titan.
Titan is among the few bodies in the solar system with a significant atmosphere made up of hydrocarbons.
Cassini previously detected signs that propylene might be present in Titan’s hazy atmosphere. The finding appears Monday in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
NSA program targets foreigners, U.S. says
WASHINGTON – The White House is defending the National Security Agency after a new report that the agency has been scanning the data it collects to map out some Americans’ social connections.
The New York Times reports the tracking started in 2010, allowing the government to identify some Americans’ associates, track their locations at certain times and their traveling companions. The Times cites documents provided by NSA leaker Edward Snowden.
White House spokesman Jay Carney says the NSA’s activities are directed against foreign intelligence targets and geared toward targeting security risks like terrorism.
Associated Press
