Chemistry in Titan’s Atmosphere

This four-panel infographic demonstrates a key chemical process believed to occur in the atmosphere of Saturn’s moon Titan. 1) Titan has a thick, nitrogen (N₂) atmosphere that also contains methane (CH₄). 2) Molecules known as methyl radicals (CH₃) form when methane is broken apart by sunlight or energetic electrons from Saturn’s magnetosphere. 3) It then recombines with other molecules or with itself to make substances like ethane (C₂H₆). 4) Methane, ethane and other molecules condense and rain out of the atmosphere, forming lakes and seas on Titan’s surface. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope detected the methyl radical on Titan for the first time, providing a key missing piece for our understanding of Titan’s chemical processes.