Space / 2015-09-28
Veiled Worlds
NASA's image library records Veiled Worlds.
Titan and Saturn have very few things in common, but a hazy appearance is one feature they share. Although their faces seem similar in images like this, appearances can be misleading. Both Saturn and Titan have thick atmospheres, in a relative sense. But Saturn is a gas giant, covered in clouds, with no solid surface to speak of. Titan's atmosphere
A CLOSER LOOK
Titan and Saturn have very few things in common, but a hazy appearance is one feature they share. Although their faces seem similar in images like this, appearances can be misleading. Both Saturn and Titan have thick atmospheres, in a relative sense. But Saturn is a gas giant, covered in clouds, with no solid surface to speak of. Titan's atmosphere is a blanket of dense haze -- a photochemical smog -- surrounding an icy, solid body. Even their atmospheric compositions are different; Saturn is mostly hydrogen and helium with clouds of water, ammonia and ammonium hydrosulfide. Titan's atmosphere is primarily nitrogen and methane, with occasional methane clouds. This view looks toward Saturn from the unilluminated side of the rings, 0.3 degrees below the ring plane. The image was taken in vis
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FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
NASA Image and Video LibraryVeiled WorldsOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.