Cassini-Huygens observations show how Titan compares with the Earth
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Observations of Titan’s atmosphere offer a unique look at how Saturn’s giant moon compares to Earth.
Titan is the only moon in the solar system with a substantial atmosphere. Like Earth, Titan’s atmosphere is primarily composed of nitrogen, but unlike Earth, one of the most abundant constituents is methane (CH4). Data from the European Space Agency’s Huygens probe, which parachuted through Titan's murky atmosphere in January, will determine if the abundance of argon exceeds that of methane. Methane, the main component in natural gas, plays a key role in the makeup of atmospheric conditions on Titan.
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