Titan's atmosphere is orange. We cannot see the surface of Titan because of the thick atmosphere.
Click on image for full size
Image courtesy NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute.
Titan
Titan is the largest moon of the
planet Saturn. Titan is the second largest
moon in our Solar System. The diameter of Titan is 5,150 km (3,200 miles), which
is about the distance across the United States. Jupiter's
moon Ganymede is the only moon in
our Solar System that is larger than Titan. Titan is larger than the planets
Mercury and Pluto!
Titan is the only moon in the Solar
System that has a thick atmosphere. Titan's
atmosphere is even thicker than Earth's! We can't see through Titan's atmosphere
to get a clear view of the moon's surface. Thanks to the Huygens
lander and to radar on the Cassini spacecraft
we are beginning to get some good looks at the surface
of Titan. Scientists have discovered lakes of liquid methane and ethane near Titan's poles. They have also spotted clouds in the atmosphere of Titan.
Titan was discovered by Christiaan
Huygens in 1655. It orbits Saturn at a distance of 1,221,830 km (759,208
miles). Titan is very cold (-178º C, or -288º F, at the surface), and is mostly
made of ice. The
moon has an unusual history,
and some scientists believe there is a very tiny chance that life
might exist on Titan!
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