"Lifting Titan's Veil is a revealing account of the second largest moon in our solar system. This world in orbit around Saturn is the only body in the solar system with an atmosphere strikingly similar to Earth's and the only moon with a substantial atmosphere. Nitrogen is the main gas in Titan's atmosphere but it is laced with a cocktail of hydrocarbons and is virtually opaque to human eyes because of layers of orange smog. Beneath the haze, lakes of liquid methane may be a feature of the frigid landscape. Titan is like a giant laboratory in deep freeze that may help scientists understand the first chemical steps towards the origin of life." "This book will appeal to readers interested in astronomical discovery and space exploration. It is an introduction to Titan, and essential reading for anyone who wants to be ready for the arrival of Cassini-Huygens in 2004"--Jacket.