News Planetary Science

Titan becomes even more enigmatic

Thick, rigid crust of ice encases Saturn's largest moon, perplexing scientists

HIDDEN IN THE HAZE  Saturn's moon Titan is enshrouded in a thick orange  atmosphere, as seen in this January 2012 photograph by NASA's Cassini probe.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute

By Andrew Grant

- More than 2 years ago

Fittingly, a world obscured by haze is very good at hiding secrets.

A new study suggests that Saturn’s moon Titan has a thick, rigid crust of ice, a finding that confounds scientists whose explanations for the moon’s dynamic surface and atmosphere rely on a flexible crust.