If the rain outside is dreadful, just remember the rain could be worse...

[derby378]

...much, much worse.

This isn't new to astronomers, but it might be new to many DUers (except for the Venus bit). On Venus, which is already reeling from surface temperatures hotter than Mercury's and intense atmospheric pressure, there's also sufuric acid rain to deal with:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE5E_MUAAyc

On Saturn's moon Titan, which has its own atmosphere, we have discovered methane rain, the horror of which is best described by scientists in this clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRXVms52t5g

Know what a brown dwarf is? It's somewhere in between a gas giant and a star. It is, in fact, a failed star that never accumulated enough mass to generate the heat needed to produce thermonuclear fusion in its core. The surface temperature is hellish, but cool enough to sustain what we would call weather - including what may be the worst rain in the universe:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBORobftvDk

So grab your umbrella, catch a few drops of H2O on your tongue, and smile - you don't know how good you have it on Earth.

[monmouth]

1. The Science posts are so much more interesting than what my

Science teacher taught. Many thanks..

[derby378]

2. Glad I could share!

:hi: