What is the name of the largest moon of Saturn? A) Titan B) Rhea C) Iapetus D) Enceladus
VerifiedAnswer: A) Titan
Explanation:
The correct answer is Titan, which is Saturn's largest moon and also the second-largest moon in our entire solar system. With a diameter of approximately 5,149 kilometers (3,199 miles), Titan is even larger than the planet Mercury!
What makes Titan particularly fascinating is its thick atmosphere composed primarily of nitrogen, making it the only moon in our solar system with a substantial atmosphere. This dense atmospheric layer creates weather patterns, including methane rain and hydrocarbon lakes on its surface. The atmosphere is so thick that it's actually denser than Earth's atmosphere!
Let's look at why the other options are incorrect:
• Rhea (option B) is Saturn's second-largest moon with a diameter of about 1,527 kilometers, making it significantly smaller than Titan
• Iapetus (option C) is the third-largest moon of Saturn, with a diameter of approximately 1,469 kilometers
• Enceladus (option D) is much smaller, with a diameter of only about 504 kilometers, though it's famous for its ice geysers
Titan was discovered by Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens in 1655 and has been extensively studied by space missions, including the Cassini-Huygens mission that provided detailed information about its surface and atmospheric conditions. Scientists believe Titan might harbor conditions suitable for life due to its complex chemistry and the presence of liquid methane and ethane on its surface.
