In 2013, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft observed strange organic bodies floating in the lakes of Titan, a moon of Saturn. These formations, which had not been seen on previous flybys, were dubbed “magic islands” by astronomers because of their mysterious appearance and disappearance in subsequent orbits.
Initially, it was speculated that they might be methane bubbles, but a recent study suggests that they are actually organic bodies floating and submerging.
Theories about organic bodies floating in Titan’s lakes
The “magic islands” in the Titan’s lakes have puzzled scientists because of their transient, glowing nature, visible in radar images. The research, led by Xinting Yu, assistant professor at the University of Texas San Antonio, proposes that these phenomena are large fragments of porous, frozen organic materials. Yu explains that these “islands” are likely to be floating chunks of porous organic solids.
Titan’s atmosphere, rich in methane and nitrogen, facilitates the formation of complex organic compounds through photochemical reactions. Published in the scientific journal Geophysical Research Letters, the study indicates that these compounds become liquids, ice or porous bodies that end up deposited on Titan’s surface.
Porous solids descend slowly due to their higher density compared to the atmosphere. Yu’s team investigated how these solids interact with hydrocarbon lakes, concluding that they have sufficient porosity to temporarily float before slowly sinking.
Titan and its mysterious magical islands
The study also addresses how these organic bodies disappear. The researchers found that because Titan’s lakes are saturated with organic particles, the solids do not dissolve rapidly on contact with the liquid. In his model, the frozen solids were too dense and the surface tension was low to form magic islands unless the lumps were porous. If they were large enough and with the right proportion of voids and narrow tubes, they floated until liquid methane filled those spaces, causing them to gradually sink.
In addition, the study provides an explanation for the smoothness of Titan’s lakes and seas. Fine particles could cover the oceans as aerosols, explaining the exceptionally smooth surface of these water masses. The research not only solves a mystery, but also has implications for future missions, such as the upcoming NASA’s upcoming Dragonfly mission. .
NASA Dragonfly Mission
Dragonfly, scheduled to launch in July 2028, seeks to explore Titan using a large drone designed to take advantage of the moon’s dense atmosphere and low gravity. This mission, part of NASA’s New Frontiers Program, aims to collect materials and determine the composition of the surface in different geological environments, assessing Titan’s habitability and the possible existence of life.
Equipped with a multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG), Dragonfly will cover large distances in less than an hour, exceeding the capacity of any Martian rover. During a full Titan day, the spacecraft will travel from its initial landing site to areas several hundred kilometers away on an initial two-year mission. Most of the time, Dragonfly will be on the surface making scientific measurements.
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Source and photo: elconfidencial
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