Saturn's moons

SwRI is studying how Saturn's largest moon maintains its dense atmosphere. Scientists think Titan's core is covered in layers of ice and a subsurface liquid ocean. New experiments show that nitrogen and methane gases produced by organic matter in the core seep to the surface, regularly renewing the atmosphere. Credit: Southwest Research Institute

Scientists decipher Titan's dense atmosphere – new discoveries about the sources of nitrogen and methane

New research suggests that nitrogen and methane seep from Titan's rocky core to the surface, helping to maintain its dense atmosphere. The findings could shed light on the planet's internal chemistry.