Titan in the solar system

This article presents a synthesis of the properties of Titan as they are understood at the present time and calls attention to some significant mysteries and,apparent contradictions which may be resolved by work in progress and anticipated new data. Its purpose. in the year of the launch of the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn and Titan, is to provide a background for interested scientists who are new to the subject, while at the same time bringing out some of the major topics which constitute challenges for those working actively on the various aspects of the problem of understanding Titan. This includes ground-based astronomers and theoreticians as well as the Cassini investigators themselves. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.