Q. The term "magic islands," recently in the news, refers to features found on which astronomical body?
Answer:
Titan
Notes: The "magic islands" observed on Titan, Saturn's largest moon, are primarily made of porous, frozen organic solids. These floating formations, likened to shapes of honeycomb or Swiss cheese, were first spotted in 2014 by the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft. Scientists, led by Xinting Yu from the University of Texas, conducted research to unravel this mystery. They concluded that these structures are clusters of complex organic snow, which accumulate and snow down onto Titan's surface and its methane and ethane lakes. Due to the unique composition of Titan's atmosphere, rich in methane and other organic molecules, this organic "snow" does not immediately dissolve upon contact with the liquid bodies on the moon's surface. The phenomenon is akin to ice sheets breaking off from glaciers on Earth and floating on sea surfaces, a process known as calving. This discovery not only sheds light on the intriguing features of Titan but also enhances our understanding of the moon's geophysical processes and the interactions between its atmosphere and surface.