NASA’s Cassini space craft has been in orbit of Saturn for the past 6 years and has been an essential tool in learning more about Saturn and its earth like features. We’ve compiled some interesting facts based on the findings of the probe:

  • It was discovered in 1665 by  Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens.
  • Its surface pressure is only slightly higher than Earth’s pressure. Earth’s pressure at sea level is 1 bar while Titan’s is 1.6 bars.
  • Its Orbital period is 15,945 days which is almost 44 times that of the Earth around the sun and 570 times that of the Earths moon
  • The temperature of the surface of Saturn is -179 degree Celsius, which makes water as hard as rocks and allows methane to be found in its liquid form
  • Its diameter is 3,200 miles (5,150 kilometers), about half the size of Earth and almost as large as Mars
  • Titans biggest mountains are only a few 100 yards high
  • Titan’s surface is composed mainly of water in the form of ice and rocky material.
  • Titan’s atmosphere is active and it is mainly composed of nitrogen (95 percent) and methane (5 percent).
  • Titan has a hydrological cycle just like the Earth but instead of water, it rains Methane on Titan
  • Titan could actually become a habitable planet if in 6 billion years the earth becomes a red giant, the increase in temperature will create stable oceans.