Astronomers find vast underground ocean under Saturn's Death Star
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Astronomers have found the best evidence yet of a vast, young ocean beneath the icy exterior of Saturn’s Death Star lookalike mini moon.
The French-led team analyzed changes in Mimas’ orbit and rotation and reported Wednesday that a hidden ocean 12 to 18 miles (20 to 30 kilometers) beneath the frozen crust was more likely than an elongated rocky core. The scientists based their findings on observations by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, which observed Saturn and its more than 140 moons for more than a decade before diving through the ringed planet’s atmosphere in 2017 and burning up.
Barely 250 miles (400 kilometers) in diameter, the heavily cratered moon lacks the fractures and geysers — typical signs of subsurface activity — of Saturn’s Enceladus and Jupiter’s Europa.
“Mimas was probably the most unlikely place to look for a global ocean — and liquid water more generally,” co-author Valery Lainey of the Paris Observatory said in an email. “So that looks like a potential habitable world. But nobody knows how much time is needed for life to arise.”
Related articles
Kevin Pillar gets 1,000th career hit in Angels' win at Texas
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Kevin Pillar tucked a keepsake ball into his bag from his 1,000th career hit2024-05-21Mississippi Senate agrees to a new school funding formula, sending plan to the governor
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi would ditch a complex school funding formula that legislators have2024-05-21Chiefs address biggest concerns in NFL draft with selections of wide receiver and offensive tackle
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs had two distinct holes on their roster as they headed2024-05-21Penix wowed Falcons' Morris, Fontenot with sound of his passes in pre
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — There’s a reason Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris and general manager2024-05-21Minnesota Uber and Lyft driver pay package beats deadline to win approval in Legislature
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A plan to boost pay for Uber and Lyft drivers in Minnesota that lawmakers bel2024-05-21Sheffield United becomes first team relegated from EPL after heavy loss at Newcastle
NEWCASTLE, England (AP) — Sheffield United became the first team to be relegated from the English Pr2024-05-21
atest comment