Hyderabad, January 12: “Titan’s air is predominantly made up of nitrogen with other hydrocarbon elements which give it an orange hue. These elements are the building blocks for amino acids necessary for formation of life,” explained Hussain talking at the scientific session held at the Madina Public School on Tuesday.
Shahnavaz, a 14-year-old student from the Kalpa School in city, was awarded the NASA Cassini Scientist for a day by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, USA.
“Even earlier, NASA scientists had found evidence that life exists on Saturn’s moon. They believe that Titan’s environment may be similar to Earth, before life began putting oxygen into the atmosphere,” the young wizard explained why he thinks there is possibility of life on Saturn’s biggest moon. He said the physical features of Titan combined with factors like temperature, humidity and presence of methane suggest possibility of existence of microbial life.
“Our Earth is like a small diamond in a big space where life exists and if it is on Titan, then we are not alone in the universe,” he said.
Other speakers at the session were general secretary, Planetary Society of India, N Raghunandan Kumar, astronomer P Seema and Dr Syed Maqbool Ahmed, principal scientific officer, University of Hyderabad.
–Agencies