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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1997
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1992-09-02
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In astronomy, largest moon of the planet
Saturn, with a diameter of 5,150 km/3,200 mi
and a mean distance from Saturn of 1,222,000
km/759,000 mi. It was discovered 1655 by
Christiaan Huygens, and is one of the two
largest moons in the solar system (only
Ganymede, of Jupiter, is larger). Titan is
the only moon in the solar system with a
substantial atmosphere (mostly nitrogen),
topped with smoggy orange clouds that obscure
the surface, which may be covered with liquid
ethane lakes. Its surface atmospheric
pressure is greater than Earth's. Radar
signals suggest that Titan has dry land as
well as oceans (among the planets, only Earth
has both in the solar system).