Scientists find a 'hint of life' on Saturn's moon Titan

By Daily Mail Reporter Last updated at 4:56 PM on 7th June 2010

Scientists have found evidence that there is life on Saturn's biggest moon, Titan. They have discovered clues that primitive aliens are breathing in Titan's atmosphere and feeding on fuel at the surface. The startling discoveries, made using an orbiting spacecraft, are revealed in two separate reports.

Data from Nasa's Cassini probe has analysed the complex chemistry on the surface of Titan - the only moon known to have a dense atmosphere.

Its surface is covered with mountains, lakes and rivers which has led astronomers to call it the most Earthlike world in the solar system.

Organic chemicals had already been detected on the 3,200-mile wide planet. But the liquid on Titan is not water but methane and the scientists expect life there to be methane-based.

The first paper, in the journal Icarus, shows that hydrogen gas flowing down through Titan's atmosphere disappears at the surface, suggesting it could be being breathed by alien bugs.
The second paper, in the Journal of Geophysical Research, reports there is a lack of a certain chemical on the surface, leading scientists to believe it may be being consumed by life.