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Huygens (/ ˈ h ɔɪ ɡ ən z / HOY-gənz) was an atmospheric entry robotic space probe that landed successfully on Saturn's moon Titan in 2005. Built and operated by the European Space Agency (ESA), launched by NASA, it was part of the Cassini–Huygens mission and became the first spacecraft to land on Titan and the farthest landing from Earth a spacecraft has ever made. [3]
Profile of Titan's atmosphere compared to Earth's. Titan is thought to be a prebiotic environment rich in complex organic compounds, [65] [138] but its surface is in a deep freeze at −179 °C (−290.2 °F; 94.1 K) so it is currently understood that life cannot exist on the moon's frigid surface. [139]
Titan is similar to the very early Earth and can provide clues to how life may have arisen on Earth. In 2005, the European Space Agency 's Huygens lander acquired some atmospheric and surface measurements on Titan, detecting tholins , [ 32 ] which are a mix of various types of hydrocarbons ( organic compounds ) in the atmosphere and on the surface.
Venus is similar in size and distance from the sun when compared with Earth, and some researchers believe the planet might have even had an Earth-like climate at some point.
The Day the Earth Smiled – Saturn with some of its moons, Earth, Venus, and Mars as visible in this Cassini montage (July 19, 2013) [112] On July 19, 2013, the probe was pointed towards Earth to capture an image of the Earth and the Moon, as part of a natural light, multi-image portrait of the entire Saturn system. The event was unique as it ...
Saturn orbiter and Titan probe [20] Saturn: Deorbited 2017: 1997–2017 Venera 15 & 16: 5,300 kg (11,684 lb) Venus orbiter: Venus: Retired: 1983–1985 Venera 10: 5,033 kg (11,096 lb) Venus orbiter & lander: Venus: Last contact 1976: 1975–1976 Tianwen-1: 5,000 kg (11,023 lb) Tianwen-1 Mars orbiter, deployable and remote cameras, lander and ...
The angular size of Earth is between 48.1″ and 6.6″ and of the Moon between 13.3″ and 1.7″, comparable to that of Venus and Mercury from Earth. Near maximum elongation (47.4°), the Earth and Moon would shine at apparent magnitudes −2.5 and +0.9, respectively.
Titan is the only object in the outer Solar System where a spacecraft has landed and conducted surface operations. The geology of Titan encompasses the geological characteristics of Titan, the largest moon of Saturn. Titan's density of 1.881 g/cm 3 indicates that it is roughly 40–60% rock by mass, with the rest being water ice and other ...