Unearthly Drainage

There is a fascinating analysis of drainage patterns on Titan at the IAG Planetary Geomorphology Working Group's featured images of the month. Here's an example of rectangular or rectilinear drainage:This pattern suggests fault- or joint-based control of the drainage pattern on this area of Titan, which adds further evidence to the hypothesis that the moon is or has been tectonically active. I was going to say that the more we learn about Titan, the weirder it seems... but that's completely wrong. It would be more accurate to say that the more we learn about Titan, the more earth-like it seems. And that is utterly freaking weird.

And as she did last month, Emily Lakdawalla at the Planetary Society Blog translates the piece from "academese" to language at least somewhat more accessible to most, along with some supplemental material to clarify the matter. Both are highly recommended reads.