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Titan: A Place with AtmosphereTitan is the largest moon of the planet Saturn and is the only moon in the solar system with a substantial atmosphere. Its atmosphere is mostly made of nitrogen and has a pressure one and a half times larger than sea level pressure on Earth. In these respects Titan's atmosphere is the closest twin to Earth's. Methane is found in Titan's atmosphere and results in the formation of a organic smog layer in the atmosphere via chemistry that is similar to the current theories for the origin of life on Earth. Unfortunately, Titan is much too cold for water to be liquid and life is therefore unlikely, earth-like life that is. Titan's atmosphere has a greenhouse effect which is much stronger than the Earth's. However the organic smog layer produces an anti-greenhouse effect that cuts the greenhouse warming in half. The surface of Titan remains unknown, hidden by the thick smog layer, but it may be an ocean of liquid methane and ethane or maybe just lakes. When the NASA/ESA mission to the Saturn System, Cassini/Huygens reaches Saturn in a few years it will launch a probe that to the surface of Titan and show us this world that is strange and yet in many ways similar to our own.
Document ID
20020072958
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Authors
McKay, Christopher P.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
DeVincenzi, D.
Date Acquired
August 20, 2013
Publication Date
April 22, 2002
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Meeting Information
Meeting: Jupiter after Galileo Cassini
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Start Date: June 17, 2002
End Date: June 21, 2002
Funding Number(s)
PROJECT: RTOP 344-38-82-04
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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