Living in Space: What would it be like to spend a Day on Titan?

Today, I want to talk to you about what it would be like to spend a day on Titan (one of Saturn’s moons).

I hardly need to try and convince you that Titan is worth visiting; the facts make a more persuasive argument than I ever could. Titan is the largest of the 53 moons that orbit Saturn; in fact, it is the second largest moon in our solar system (only Jupiter’s Ganymede surpasses it). This means that Titan is much bigger than our own Moon, and even the planet Mercury. But, despite being one of the most sizable moons in our solar system, Titan has a rather weak gravitational pull (a person who weighs 100 pounds on Earth will only weigh 12 pounds on Titan. ie. Titan is a great place for jumping and, thus, basketball).

But I’m afraid that this interesting moon is rather inhospitable. Titan"s average surface temperature is a chilly -289 degrees Fahrenheit (-178 degrees Celsius), which is a little cold even for the hardiest Earthlings. Yet, you shouldn’t let the temperature keep you from visiting this magnificent rock, because Titan is the only moon in the solar system known to have clouds and a thick planet-like atmosphere. And I mean “thick.” Titan"s atmospheric pressure is about 60 percent greater than the Earth"s, so walking on Titan will be roughly the same as walking on the bottom of a swimming pool.

Want to know what the rest of your day would be like? Find out at:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/what-would-it-be-like-to-spend-a-day-on-titan/

Image source:
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?Category=Planets&IM_ID=11965

Get to Know Titan: 6 Interesting Things to Know About Saturn"s Largest - and Most Awesome - Moon

If one requires proof as to why Saturn is the most awesome planet in our solar system, we need not look any further than Saturn"s largest (and its inarguably most interesting) moon, Titan. (Pictured to the right in a frame with Saturn and its famous series of rings) Despite being a satellite of a large, gaseous planet, Titan is actually the most Earth-like world in our local neighborhood. Equipped with an appreciable atmosphere (mostly made up of nitrogen), vigorous mountains and valleys and free standing bodies of liquid substances; Titan presents us with so many interesting questions and can likely help give us answers to some of our other lingering questions. That is, if we can ever find the funding to explore it properly. (Something we"ll talk about in more detail here in a moment)

With that said, there are so many things about Titan to be excited about, but here, we have compiled the best-of-the-best facts about the Saturnian moon.

To read the full article, see: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/get-to-know-titan-6-interesting-things-to-know-about-saturns-largest-and-most-awesome-moon/

New Look at Titan"s Land of Lakes

Titan - the Saturnian moon - is never lacking in awesomeness (something we have reiterated time and time again). This newly-released image only scratches the surface of the moon"s awesomeness. As you can see, NASA"S Cassini-Huygens probe recently took a look at the free-standing bodies of liquid that set Titan apart from the pack. Ultimately, these images of Titan"s lakes and oceans proved that this moon is the only other world in our solar system that is similar to Earth in this regard.

However, the word "similar" is rather misleading. Yes, Titan has liquid oceans, shorelines, lakes, rivers, rain and even seasons, but unlike Earth (where you can safely get a little dew on your shoe, or catch a few drops of rain in your mouth), on Titan, too much "rain" could easily wind up poisoning you (or turning you into a fire breathing dragon, provided you had some oxygen and a match). This is because Titan"s rain is made up of liquid hydrocarbons (a huge component of gasoline).

To read the full article, see: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/new-look-at-titans-land-of-lakes/

Image source:
NASA