News in Brief Planetary Science

Nitrogen fizz fuels ‘magic island’ on Titan, simulation suggests

Titan magic island

SHAPESHIFTER  Nitrogen bubbles may be the source of an on-again, off-again bright spot, or “magic island,” on Saturn’s moon Titan. Cassini spacecraft images of the island, which sits in a hydrocarbon sea called Ligeia Mare, revealed the feature’s fickle nature.

Cornell/ASI/JPL-Caltech/NASA

By Ashley Yeager

- More than 2 years ago

Saturn’s main moon, Titan, has a “magic island” that might be made of streams of nitrogen bubbles, scientists report April 18 in Nature Astronomy.