"Titan's Eye": Two decades ago, a probe landed on Saturn's moon, capturing stunning images for the first time. (photo)

Titan is the largest moon of Saturn, located 1.2 billion kilometers away from us. On January 14, 2005, the "Huygens" probe successfully landed on Titan's surface and captured unique photographs of it, reports Live Science.

The photograph seen below resembles an eye, but in reality, it is a part of Titan's surface. This image was taken by the "Huygens" probe during its descent onto the largest moon of Saturn. It marked the first landing on Titan in history and remains the only one to date. This event is also historic as it was the first landing on the surface of a world in the outer solar system.

When this photograph was taken, the "Huygens" probe was at an altitude of 5 kilometers. The probe began its descent to Titan after separating from the "Cassini" spacecraft and landed 2.5 hours later. This was a joint mission between NASA and the European Space Agency to explore Saturn, its rings, and its moons.

The instruments on the "Huygens" probe collected information about Titan's atmosphere, its chemical composition, as well as data on winds, temperature, and pressure. The probe was also equipped with cameras that allowed it to photograph Titan's surface.

Below is another photograph taken by the "Huygens" probe after its landing. It also shows what Titan's surface looks like up close. The "Huygens" probe continued its work on the surface of Saturn's moon for 70 minutes until its batteries were depleted.

The images obtained by scientists revealed that Titan's surface has some Earth-like features, particularly in relation to the beds of dried rivers and lakes. The data indicated that rivers of liquid methane flowed on Titan's surface not long ago, and there were also methane lakes. Furthermore, scientists discovered that methane rains occur on Titan. It is now believed that Titan has rivers, lakes, and seas filled with liquid methane.

The "Huygens" probe, attached to the "Cassini" spacecraft, was launched into space in October 1997. In 2017, the "Cassini" spacecraft completed its mission by diving into Saturn's atmosphere, where it ultimately burned up.