What makes Titan so special among moons?
It has lakes, rivers, and rain - but made of liquid methane.
The answer
Saturn's largest moon Titan is the only moon in the solar system with a dense atmosphere (1.5 times Earth's surface pressure) and the only place besides Earth with stable liquid on its surface. However, Titan's rivers, lakes, and seas are filled with liquid methane and ethane at −179°C. Its atmosphere is mostly nitrogen, with methane playing the role that water plays in Earth's hydrological cycle - evaporating, forming clouds, and raining down. Beneath the surface, Titan may also harbor a subsurface water ocean, making it a candidate for two completely different types of potential life.
Source: NASA Cassini-Huygens
- Titan
- Saturn
- astrobiology
- moons
More from Space & Cosmos
- How many stars are in the observable universe?
- What does space smell like?
- Why is a day on Venus longer than its year?
- What is the oldest light we can see?
- Could there be a planet made of diamond?
- How fast is the universe expanding?