The Earth-like moon is unexpected

Saturn's Titan moon may be more like Earth than previously believed by astronomers, also possessing a multi-layered atmosphere.

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Titan is Saturn's largest moon and is also the only moon known to have a dense atmosphere. Understanding more about the working mechanism of this hazy atmosphere will help scientists more easily access to new, alien moons and planets in the universe. Despite this, throughout the years, information about the formation and structure of Titan atmosphere is quite contradictory.

Ultra-shot of Titan. Latest research shows
This moon also possesses a multistage atmosphere like the Earth.

The lowest floor of any atmosphere, also known as the boundary layer, will be most affected by the surface of the planet or the moon. In contrast, it also affects the surface most, through clouds and wind as well as giant sand dunes.

'The boundary layer is very important for the climate and weather of a planet or a moon,' said scientist Benjamin Charnay of the French National Center for Scientific Research on Space.com.

Earth's boundary layer stretches from a height of 500m to a height of 3km, under the control of solar heat evaporating from the surface of the Earth. Since Titan is farther away from the sun than Earth, its boundary layer is completely different in nature. However, no one was sure about the operation of this floor, because Titan's atmosphere was too cloudy and thick.

For example, if the Voyager 1 suggested that Titan's boundary layer was about 3.5 km thick, the Huygens satellite flew through Titan's atmosphere, indicating that this floor was only about 300 meters thick.

Two sub-boundaries

In order to solve the mysteries surrounding Titan's atmosphere, scientists have developed a 3D climate model of how Titan reacts to solar heat. Sharing on Space.com , Charney revealed that Titan's boundary layer seemed to be divided into two separate levels and distinguished from the upper layers of the temperature. The lower floor is quite thin, only about 800m thick while the upper floor is about 2km thick and changes with the season.

The existence of two layers of boundaries in Titan helped erase previous conflicting information, Charney said. The discovery also helps explain the winds on Titan that were recorded by Huygens, as well as the formation of the moon's methane clouds.

In the future, Charney and colleagues will add the movement of methane to the cloud, sea, and lake rings on Titan's surface to 3D models, like the closed cycle of water on Earth.

'The 3D model will be helpful to explain the data we collect about the atmosphere of exoplanets (the planet outside the solar system and also around a sun like Earth - PV)' , Mr. Charney concluded.