I wrote a nonfiction book about Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. I researched Titan through planetary science textbooks and academic papers before I authored the book. The project was reviewed for accuracy by Dr. Ralph Lorenz, a planetary scientist at Johns Hopkins University who has focused his work on Titan since the 1990s. Dr. Lorenz worked on NASA/ESA’s Cassini-Huygens mission to Titan and has published more than 200 papers on Titan.
Why did this focus interest you?
Titan’s scientific intrigue lies in its unique activity. Titan is the only known moon with an atmosphere and the only place, other than Earth, with liquid on its surface. The liquid is a mixture of methane and ethane. Titan is known to have lakes, weather and potentially volcanoes. Given that the majority of information about Titan is found in post-graduate research work and textbooks, I wanted to create a resource anyone could use. Titan has been studied extensively by NASA’s Cassini craft that orbited Saturn from 1997 until 2017, when the Cassini orbiter was purposely crashed into Saturn’s atmosphere. Data was also collected by a probe that was sent with Cassini and touched down on the surface of Titan in 2005. The probe was made by the European Space Agency and named Huygens. The data gained from these missions will continue to be studied for years to come. I wanted to write a book that would connect a general audience with the ongoing research of Titan.
How does this project bookend your academic experience at the high school?
I enjoyed the opportunity to apply my learnings from across a variety of classes to a single project. Beyond the math and scientific knowledge required to understand the research, I utilized many of the communication skills I learned in language arts and history. I also appreciated the chance to create the kind of book that I would have read as a scientifically curious kid.
What is your next step after graduation?
I will be attending The Ohio State University this fall, where I plan to major in chemistry. I also plan to continue to edit and improve my book and eventually to pursue publishing the work.
About the Senior Capstone Project
The Senior Capstone Project is the culmination of each student’s academic experience at Upper Arlington High School. This is a genuine way for seniors to merge their interests, passions and curiosities with their academic goals. Seniors are given the opportunity to demonstrate the autonomy, complexity and uniqueness of their Senior Capstone Project both in a written format and through the oral presentation of their project before high school peers and teachers.
We welcome community ideas for our seniors. Please feel free to submit those ideas by filling out this online form.