Saturn's Moon Titan - Atmosphere, Surface & Rotation

Titan is the largest moon of the planet Saturn. Actually, Titan is larger than the planet Mercury. It is the only known moon or natural satellite in our solar system to have a dense atmosphere, in fact, its atmosphere is thicker than Earth’s. It is also the only celestial body after our Earth, where evidence of stable bodies of the liquid has been clearly found on the surface. Titan was Saturn’s first known moon. It is also the second-largest moon in our solar system.

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Is There Oxygen In Titan’s Atmosphere?

The atmosphere of Titan is composed of 98.4 percent nitrogen and the rest 1.6 percent is mainly methane and hydrogen. There are also other hydrocarbons- such as ethane, diacetylene, and methylacetylene, which are found in very small amounts in the atmosphere.

What Is The Surface Of Titan Made Of?

Some scientists and astronomers have described the surface of Titan as “complex, fluid-processed, and geologically young”. Its surface has many streaky features and some of them are almost hundreds of kilometers in length. These are assumed to be created by windblown rocky particles.

Its surface is relatively smooth. However, there are few objects observed on the surface. These may be craters created by impacts of comets or other celestial objects. These craters appear to have been filled in by raining hydrocarbons or volcanoes.

Titan’s surface is marked by large regions of the bright and dark land. The complex region of its surface is filled with hills, valleys, craters, and canyons.

The major part of the Titan’s surface is covered with hills and ridges, which are mainly composed of hydrocarbons. These ridges on Saturn’s moon Titan look similar to the sandbanks and sand dunes of the Namibian desert in Africa.

How Long Does Titan Take To Rotate?

Titan takes 15 days and 22 hours to complete one orbit around Saturn. Like many other natural satellites, to complete one rotation around its own axis, it takes the same amount of time as its orbital period. Thus, Titan’s rotational period and orbital period are identical. For this reason, Titan is tidally locked with Saturn as our moon is tidally locked with Earth and one side of Titan always faces Saturn.

How Did Saturn’s Moon Titan Form?

According to some scientists and astronomers, Saturn’s system started with a group of moons, similar to Jupiter’s four largest moons which are known as Galilean satellites. However, this system was broken apart by a series of huge impacts of different celestial objects. Later, Titan was formed from these impacts.

READ ALSO: Could Jupiter become a Star?

FAQ: Saturn’s Moon Titan

Here I have given brief answers to some of the most relevant questions about Saturn’s moon Titan.

Q1. Does Titan Have A Thick Atmosphere?

Ans: Titan is the only known natural satellite in our solar system which have a dense atmosphere and its atmosphere is thicker than Earth’s.

Q2. What Percentage Of Titan’s Atmosphere Is Nitrogen?

Ans: The atmosphere of Titan is composed of 98.4 percent nitrogen. And the rest 1.6 percent is mainly methane and hydrogen. Other hydrocarbons, such as ethane, diacetylene, and methylacetylene are also found in very small amounts in the atmosphere.

Q3. How Many Days Does It Take For Titan To Orbit Saturn?

Ans: Titan takes almost 15 days and 22 hours to complete one orbit around Saturn. And Titan is tidally locked with Saturn as our moon is tidally locked with Earth, so one side of Titan always faces Saturn.

Q4. How Did Saturn’s Moon Titan Form?

Ans: According to various astronomers, Saturn’s system actually started with a group of moons, which were similar to Jupiter’s Galilean satellites. However, this system was broken apart by a series of giant impacts of different celestial objects. Later, Saturn’s moon Titan was formed from these impacts.

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