Life-forming molecules have been detected within the hazy upper atmosphere of Saturn's largest moon Titan. The discovery was made by a team of scientists led by Ravi Desai of University College London (UCL) after analysing data received from the Cassini probe that has been observing Saturn and its moons since 2004. The scientists identified negatively charged molecules called 'carbon chain anions' in Titan's atmosphere, which are understood to be building blocks of more complex molecules, and may have acted as the basis for the earliest forms of life on Earth. The detections were made using Cassini's plasma spectrometer, called CAPS, as Cassini flew through Titan's upper atmosphere, 950-1,300 km above the surface (The Astrophysical Journal, 26 Jul 2017 |DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/aa7851).
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