Yet the same atmosphere that keeps us from seeing the planet's true face might be the key to understanding how life gets started.
Titan is the only moon in the solar system with a significantly dense atmosphere.
Composed primarily of nitrogen, with low percentages of argon and methane, its atmosphere also contains trace amounts of organic compounds known as liquid hydrocarbons. These hydrocarbons form as methane, dominating Titan's upper atmosphere. The liquid hydrocarbons are thought to rain down on Titan's surface, potentially forming large lakes and creating conditions similar to those of the primordial Earth when terrestrial life originated. Recent infrared photographs taken by the Hubble Space Telescope show large bright and dark regions on Titan's surface that may indicate the presence of continental landmasses. Answers should come when the Cassini Saturn Orbiter and Huygens Titan Probe reach Titan in the summer of 2004.