2024/02/18 05:30
Scientists have discovered that Saturn’s moon Mimas may contain an underground ocean. (Reuters)
◎Lin Jiayu
Saturn’s moon Mimas is known for its uncanny resemblance to the dreaded Death Star in the original “Star Wars” movie. But it has another intriguing distinction as well, according to researchers – a subsurface ocean hidden under its icy and crater-scarred outer shell.
Saturn’s moon Mimas is famous for its uncanny resemblance to the infamous Death Star from the original “Star Wars” movies. But Mimas has another intriguing feature, according to researchers, and that’s the ocean hidden beneath its icy and devastated crust.
Mimas becomes the smallest of five moons in our solar system with compelling evidence of subsurface oceans, alongside Saturn’s Enceladus and Titan, and Jupiter’s Europa and Ganymede.
Mimas becomes the smallest of five moons in the solar system with strong evidence of an underground ocean. The others are Enceladus and Titan on Saturn, Europa and Ganymede on Jupiter.
Mimas is the seventh-largest moon of Saturn, which all told has well over 100 moons ranging from Titan – larger than the planet Mercury – to some only the size of a city block.
Mimas is the seventh largest moon of Saturn. Saturn has more than 100 moons, ranging in size from Titan, which is larger than Mercury, to some as small as a city block.
The liquid water inside Mimas represents more than half of this moon’s total volume, though it amounts to just 1.2-1.4% the amount in Earth’s oceans. The fact that the water is in contact with the rocky core of Mimas may facilitate the type of complex chemistry that could pave the way for life, they added.
The liquid water inside Mimas is equivalent to more than half of its total volume, but this is only 1.2 to 1.4% of the proportion of Earth’s oceans. Scientists added that the interaction of water with Mimas’ rocky core may have spawned complex chemical reactions that could pave the way for life.
news dictionary
uncanny: adjective, mysterious, unexplainable. Example: An uncanny feeling bothers me all the time.
Intriguing: adjective, interesting, interesting. Example: This intriguing result makes scientists very excited.
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