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What causes Titan’s deep brownish red haze?
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Titan
Titan, moon of Saturn, photographed by Voyager 2 on August 25, 1981, at a distance of 907,000 km (564,000 miles). Green and violet images were combined to make this photograph, which shows the extended atmosphere of the satellite.
Titan’s deep brownish red haze is caused by an aerosol of complex organic solids that are continuously produced when solar ultraviolet light interacts with the moon's nitrogen-methane atmosphere.12
These small particles, which function as a form of natural haze or "smog," absorb solar radiation, resulting in the moon's distinct tint. The particles are pervasive throughout the atmosphere, remaining dense even at altitudes of 300 km (200 miles). Because these particles absorb solar energy, they create a temperature inversion in the stratosphere, which prevents the haze from dissipating through convection. Over time, these organic solids settle through the atmosphere and accumulate on the surface of Titan.12