Titan, organic Hydrogen Consumption?

Features: Current EventsCritical Path Innovation: Biology, Space ExplorationInstitutions: Ames Research CenterPeople: Chris McKayPlaces: TitanSpacecraft: Cassini
Methane Lake on Titan (JPL/NASA)

Saturn's moon, Titan is covered in lakes of liquid methane. All current assumptions indicate that these liquid lakes should produce copious amounts of hydrogen in the atmosphere of Titan. However, the Cassini probe detected much less hydrogen than was expected. This dearth of hydrogen has lead some astrobiologists to speculate that the hydrogen is being consumed by some sort of organic life on the surface. Assuming that our current information on Titan is correct, then either some natural process or an organic life form is responsible for this hydrogen absorption effect.


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