
Jan. 28, 2010
Feature Story
Studying Titan’s Lakes on Earth
Saturn’s moon Titan is the only other object in the solar system known to have liquid on its surface. However, with temperatures as low as -179°C, these lakes are definitely not filled with water.
Titan’s hydrocarbon lakes are poorly understood, but a NASA-supported project hopes to gain a better understanding of their properties by replicating the surface of Titan in a lab. The research could also yield clues about the chemistry that led to the origin of life on Earth.