Has the ‘magic island’ mystery on Saturn’s moon Titan been solved?

THEY call it the magic island and it is one of the most surprising recent discoveries humans have made in our solar system.

IT WAS just another bright splotch on the landscape of Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, when the satellite passed overhead.

But when the spacecraft returned to the same spot again two weeks later, the colourful object was gone.

Spot the difference: The ‘ghost island’ is highlighted below. Picture: NASA

Scientists are intrigued by a bright blip the Cassini satellite spotted on July 10 last year which had vanished by July 26.

The team examining Cassini pictures has released several explanations of what the so-called “magic island” in the moon’s second-largest sea could be in the Nature Geoscience journal.

And no, it’s not some kind of alien device.

Saturn's largest moon Titan, as spotted by NASA’s spacecraft Cassini. Picture: NASA.gov

One theory is that the blob could have been a big wave kicked up by strong winds. Other explanations include that the blip is a solid object that has surfaced from the depths of the ocean due to seasonal temperatures or that it was a collection of gas bubbles.

It may sound dry but according to Cornell University it is surprising given scientists had never noticed any kind of activity in that ocean.

NASA considers Titan the most Earth-like moon in our solar system.

Just like Earth, its atmosphere consists mostly of nitrogen and lakes, rivers and seas flow on the surface — although they consist of methane and ethane gases.

The Cassini probe is scheduled to fly-by Titan again on July 20. Hopefully scientists will get another decent look.