In fact, the researchers state that Titan contains hundreds of times more liquid hydrocarbons than the entire known oil and natural gas reserves in the Earth. Of course, it is a lot easier to drill for oil here on Earth than 746 million miles (1.2 billion kilometers) away on Titan.

Liquid hydrocarbons are any type of organic compound that consists solely of hydrogen (H) and carbon (C). The majority of hydrocarbons are found naturally as crude oil, which is decomposed organic matter full of carbon and hydrogen.

Methane and ethane fall from heavy clouds in the Titan atmosphere, forming massive lakes and seas. Titan is the only moon known to have a thick atmosphere. It is composed primarily of nitrogen, but with smaller amounts of methane and ethane.

Further studies of Titan could help us on Earth learn more about our oil reserves and possibly help us learn more about the way that carbon-based life on Earth first developed.

With Titan over 1.2 billion kilometers away from Earth, it is only possible for us to send unmanned probes to study the moon.

Titan is the largest moon of Saturn. It is the only rocky celestial body, other than Earth, where surface liquids have been directly found. It is often considered by astronomers to be a model of what Earth might have been early in its formation (but with a much lower temperature).

As such, it is important to scientists who are learning more about how Earth first formed. Scientists are also interested in Titan as a potential place where primitive live might exist.

The result of the ESA study, entitled “Titan's inventory of organic surface materials” is written up in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

What did their study state? Please read on.