Atmosphere of Titan

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The atmosphere of Titan is the layer of gases surrounding Titan, the largest moon of Saturn. Titan is the only natural satellite in the Solar System with an atmosphere denser than Earth's. Its thick, nitrogen-rich atmosphere contains methane and other gases and is shrouded in a distinctive orange haze of complex organic compounds known as tholins. Titan's lower atmosphere consists primarily of nitrogen (94.2%), methane (5.65%), and hydrogen (0.099%). It also contains trace amounts of hydrocarbons and other gases, including ethane, acetylene, hydrogen cyanide, carbon dioxide, and argon. Titan's atmosphere has an estimated mass of 9.1×1018 kg, nearly twice that of Earth's atmosphere. The surface pressure is about 50% higher than Earth's, at 1.5 bar (150 kPa). This pressure exceeds the triple point of methane, allowing liquid methane to exist on the surface alongside methane vapor in the atmosphere. Titan has a seasonal global atmospheric circulation that reverses roughly every half Titan...

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