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Thanks to "Voyager 2": NASA research team reveals the secret of Uranus' moons

2023-05-10T03:20:20.826Z

Highlights: Uranus' moons Oberon and Titania could have warm oceans, NASA says. The oceans could be dozens of kilometers deep, according to NASA. Until now, researchers have assumed that, with the exception of Titania, the largest moon, all of Uranus's moons are too small to have an ocean in their interior. The findings of the current study are to be incorporated into the design of a future mission to Uranus, says the study's lead author, Julie Castillo-Rogez of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.



Old data from NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft bring it to light: Apparently, four Uranus moons could host internal oceans.

Pasadena – At least 27 moons orbit the planet Uranus. Until now, researchers have assumed that, with the exception of Titania, the largest moon, all of Uranus' moons are too small to have an ocean in their interior. But that was apparently a fallacy. A research team from the US space agency Nasa has re-evaluated data from the "Voyager 2" spacecraft and has come to the conclusion that four moons of Uranus could well harbor water under their surface. The oceans could be dozens of kilometers deep, according to NASA.

The "Decadal Survey" of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine of the USA, a kind of "wish list" of astronomy, has classified a mission to the planet Uranus as a priority. For this reason, planetary researchers are currently concentrating on the ice giant in order to develop possible missions. The new study, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research, could shed light on how a future mission might explore Uranus' moons. However, the work has implications beyond Uranus, says the study's lead author, Julie Castillo-Rogez of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

This is how NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft saw the planet Uranus in 1986. © NASA/JPL-Caltech

Uranus could have several moons with internal oceans

"When it comes to small bodies — dwarf planets and moons — planetary scientists have already found evidence of oceans in several unlikely places, including the dwarf planets Ceres and Pluto and Saturn's moon Mimas," Castillo-Rogez explains. "So there are mechanisms at play that we don't fully understand. This work investigates what these might be and how they are relevant to the many bodies in the solar system that may be rich in water but have limited internal heat."

Some of the data evaluated by the research team are already many years old: In the 1980s, the Voyager 2 space probe flew past the planet Uranus – the only space probe to date. In studies on Uranus, "Voyager" always plays a role. In addition, the research group evaluated ground-based observations of the planet and its moons. In addition, finds from several space probes that have discovered ocean worlds in the solar system were used. Findings about Saturn's moon Enceladus as well as Pluto and its moon Charon were also included in the study.

Uranus' moons Oberon and Titania could have warm oceans

Castillo-Rogez's research team found that four of Uranus' large moons are likely insulated enough to maintain internal heat. This is necessary to make liquid water possible under a layer of ice. In addition, the team found a possible source of heat in the stony mantles of the moons. These give off a hot liquid that could help keep an ocean warm. This scenario is particularly likely for the moons Oberon and Titania. Their oceans could even be so warm that life could be possible in them, according to a NASA statement.

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The study also shows that chlorides, as well as ammonia, are likely abundant in the oceans of Uranus' largest moons and also contribute to the heat. Many questions about the large moons of Uranus are still open and Castillo-Rogez emphasizes that there is still a lot of work to be done: "We need to develop new models for different assumptions about the origin of the moons to facilitate planning for future observations."

The findings of the current study are to be incorporated into the design of a future Uranus mission. For example, the researchers can find out which instruments are best suited to explore the moons or Uranus itself. ESA's Juice spacecraft is currently flying to Jupiter and its icy moons to explore the oceans beneath their ice sheets. (tab)

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2023-05-10

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