The atmosphere of Titan in late northern summer from JWST and Keck observations

Saturn’s moon Titan undergoes a long annual cycle of 29.45 Earth years. Titan’s northern winter and spring were investigated in detail by the Cassini–Huygens spacecraft (2004–2017), but the northern summer season remains sparsely studied. Here we present new observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and Keck II telescope made in 2022 and 2023 during Titan’s late northern summer. Using JWST’s mid-infrared instrument, we spectroscopically detected the methyl radical, the primary product of methane break-up and key to the formation of ethane and heavier molecules. Using the near-infrared spectrograph onboard JWST, we detected several non-local thermodynamic equilibrium CO and CO2 emission bands, which allowed us to measure these species over a wide altitude range. Lastly, using the near-infrared camera onboard JWST and Keck II, we imaged northern hemisphere tropospheric clouds evolving in altitude, which provided new insights and constraints on seasonal convection patterns. These observations pave the way for new observations and modelling of Titan’s climate and meteorology as it progresses through the northern fall equinox, when its atmosphere is expected to show notable seasonal changes. JWST and Keck II spectral observations of Saturn’s moon Titan reveal methyl (CH3) as well as non-local thermodynamic equilibrium emission bands of CO and CO2. Imaging shows clouds in Titan’s northern hemisphere at several epochs, with some appearing to evolve in altitude.

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Publication Details

Journal
Nature Astronomy
Published
2025-05-14
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02537-3
Citations
7
Primary Topic
Astro and Planetary Science
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
8.08

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article

The atmosphere of Titan in late northern summer from JWST and Keck observations

M. López‐Puertas, Carolyn E. Jordan, Oliver King, Naomi Rowe‐Gurney et al.
7 citations
Nature Astronomy
Astro and Planetary Science
8.08
article

The atmosphere of Titan in late northern summer from JWST and Keck observations

M. López‐Puertas, Carolyn E. Jordan, Oliver King, Naomi Rowe‐Gurney, E. P. Turtle, Alexander G. Hayes, N. A. Teanby, Yaniss Nyffenegger-Péré, Heidi B. Hammel, Carl Schmidt, James O’Donoghue, S. Rodríguez, Bryan J. Holler, Luke Moore, Edward Molter, C. Sotin, C. A. Nixon, Nicholas A. Lombardo, Stefanie N. Milam, Brandon Park Coy, P. G. J. Irwin, Katherine de Kleer, Theresa C. Marlin, Leigh N. Fletcher, R. K. Achterberg, Tom Stallard, N. W. Kutsop, John M. O’Meara, Judy Schmidt, A. G. Davies, Maël Es-Sayeh, Juan M. Lora, P. Rannou, Bruno Bézard, Scot Rafkin, Imke de Pater, John Stansberry, Thomas Cornet, E. Lellouch, Michael T. Roman, Henrik Melin, Greg Doppmann, Robert A. West, C. Álvarez, A. N. Rostopchina
article en
7 citations

Abstract

Saturn’s moon Titan undergoes a long annual cycle of 29.45 Earth years. Titan’s northern winter and spring were investigated in detail by the Cassini–Huygens spacecraft (2004–2017), but the northern summer season remains sparsely studied. Here we present new observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and Keck II telescope made in 2022 and 2023 during Titan’s late northern summer. Using JWST’s mid-infrared instrument, we spectroscopically detected the methyl radical, the primary product of methane break-up and key to the formation of ethane and heavier molecules. Using the near-infrared spectrograph onboard JWST, we detected several non-local thermodynamic equilibrium CO and CO2 emission bands, which allowed us to measure these species over a wide altitude range. Lastly, using the near-infrared camera onboard JWST and Keck II, we imaged northern hemisphere tropospheric clouds evolving in altitude, which provided new insights and constraints on seasonal convection patterns. These observations pave the way for new observations and modelling of Titan’s climate and meteorology as it progresses through the northern fall equinox, when its atmosphere is expected to show notable seasonal changes. JWST and Keck II spectral observations of Saturn’s moon Titan reveal methyl (CH3) as well as non-local thermodynamic equilibrium emission bands of CO and CO2. Imaging shows clouds in Titan’s northern hemisphere at several epochs, with some appearing to evolve in altitude.

Nature AstronomyVol. 9(7)
Boston University (US), California Institute of Technology (US), Southwest Research Institute (US), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), Space Telescope Science Institute (US), Planetary Science Institute (US), Goddard Space Flight Center (US), Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (US), Jet Propulsion Laboratory (US), Institut de physique du globe de Paris (FR), University of Leicester (GB), University of Idaho (US), Université Paris Cité (FR), Cornell University (US), W.M. Keck Observatory (US), Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (US), Northumbria University (GB), Yale University (US), University of Massachusetts Boston (US), University of Bristol (GB), Sorbonne Université (FR), University of Oxford (GB), University of Chicago (US), Sorbonne Paris Cité (FR), European Space Astronomy Centre (ES), Planetary Systems (United States) (US), Météo-France (FR), Film Independent (US), Groupe de Spectrométrie Moléculaire et Atmosphérique (FR), Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géosciences (FR), Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (ES), University of Maryland, College Park (US), University of Reading (GB), Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne (FR)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, W. M. Keck Foundation, California Institute of Technology, Space Telescope Science Institute, NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Science and Technology Facilities Council, Agencia Estatal de Investigación
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