Astronomers find vast underground ocean under Saturn's Death Star
Time:2024-05-22 11:20:51 Source:styleViews(143)
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.”
Previous:Australia as Bangladesh vow to boost trade as foreign ministers meet in Dhaka
Next:Weather forecasters warn Pakistanis to stay indoors ahead of new heat wave
You may also like
- Turkish Airlines resumes flights to Afghanistan nearly 3 years after the Taliban captured Kabul
- Zverev produces a comeback win over Tabilo to earn a spot in the Italian Open final
- Federal prosecutor in Arkansas stepped down while being investigated, report says
- Xavi reportedly under pressure at Barcelona after saying it will struggle to compete with Madrid
- Stanford holds on to beat Arizona State 8
- Peterka has goal, 3 assists in Germany's 8
- Amy Kremer helped organize the pro
- Klopp takes a walk down memory lane as he prepares for emotional final match as Liverpool manager
- UN food agency warns that the new US sea route for Gaza aid may fail unless conditions improve