Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery that has the potential to change our understanding of ocean moons. French astronomer Valéry Lainey and his team from Observatoire de Paris have announced the existence of a newly formed ocean on Saturn’s moon, Mimas. This finding challenges previous assumptions about the conditions for habitability and redefines our understanding of ocean moons.
Mimas, often referred to as the Death Star moon due to its resemblance to the iconic station from the “Star Wars” franchise, has a gray, icy shell and a prominent impact crater on its surface. However, it is not its appearance that has captured the attention of researchers. Mimas joins the ranks of other celestial bodies with subterranean oceans, such as Saturn’s moons Titan and Enceladus, as well as Jupiter’s Europa and Ganymede moons.
Enceladus, Mimas’ neighboring moon, has long been known for its icy fracturing and geysers of water, which hinted at the presence of a subsurface body of water. In contrast, Mimas’ thick icy exterior had never indicated the existence of an ocean. Scientists now believe that Mimas’ ocean lies 12 to 18 miles below its 15-mile-thick frozen shell.
The discovery was made through a detailed analysis of Mimas’ orbital motion using data collected by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft. The spacecraft spent over a decade studying Saturn’s moons before its mission ended in 2017 when it crashed into the ringed planet. The researchers from Observatoire de Paris based their findings on these observations.
“The major finding here is the discovery of habitability conditions on a solar system object which we would never, never expect to have liquid water,” said Valéry Lainey. The presence of liquid water on Mimas, despite its unlikely characteristics, has astonished scientists.
Fellow researchers have praised this discovery as inspiring and have highlighted the previous hypothesis regarding Mimas’ unique orbit. The previous understanding of Mimas’ orbit was based on the belief that it had a very elongated core. However, the internal ocean hypothesis is now considered just as plausible. This could be explained by either a very elongated rocky core or an internal ocean that allows the moon’s outer shell to oscillate independently of its core.
Mimas, discovered in 1789 by astronomer William Herschel, derives its name from a giant in Greek mythology. Despite its newfound fame as the Death Star moon, Mimas has now become a significant object of scientific interest due to the discovery of its hidden ocean.
This groundbreaking finding on Mimas has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of ocean moons and the conditions for habitability in our solar system. It serves as a reminder that there is still much to learn about the mysteries of our universe and the potential for life beyond Earth.