As of: February 13, 2024, 2:58 p.m
By: Kilian Bäuml
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Researchers discover an ocean on Saturn's moon Mimas.
This discovery could change our understanding of life beyond Earth.
Munich – Saturn has the most moons of all the planets in our solar system – one of them particularly stands out.
As the seventh largest moon, it doesn't draw attention to itself because of its size; what's special is inside.
An ocean was found there.
There were already indications of such hidden ocean worlds within our solar system.
A study published in the journal
Nature
now provides new insights into this supposed lunar ocean.
But this discovery also raises an old question again: Is extraterrestrial life possible?
Dozens of moons orbit Saturn, but only a few have water on them.
(Symbolic image) © Nasa/Jpl-Caltech/Space Science I/dpa
Life outside Earth?
Saturn's moon Mimas could provide answers
Previous research has suggested that there could be an ocean beneath the surface of Mima.
The latest discovery now confirms that oceans can exist even on smaller moons.
This expands our understanding of possible life beyond Earth, as these oceans could have life-friendly conditions.
The researchers therefore hope that this discovery will provide rare insights into the origins of life.
“The existence of a recently formed liquid water ocean makes Mimas a prime candidate for studying the origin of life,” said Dr.
Nick Cooper, co-author of the study and associate at Queen Mary University of London, in a press release.
Life-friendly conditions on Saturn's moons
The discovery on Mimas is a rarity, but the moon is not alone in its potentially life-friendly conditions.
Also discoveries on Saturn's moon
Enceladus raises hopes of gaining insights into the origins of life.
Discovery on Saturn's moon Mimas: Hidden ocean raises questions
The discovery of the ocean on Mimas amazed researchers.
“Mimas is a small moon, only about 400 kilometers across, and its heavily cratered surface gave no indication of the ocean hidden beneath,” Cooper said.
“With this discovery, Mimas joins an exclusive club of moons with inner oceans,” he added.
But that's not the only special feature.
“Its ocean is remarkably young, estimated to be only 5 to 15 million years old.”
The age of the lunar ocean was determined through a detailed analysis of tidal interactions between Mimas and Saturn.
The data required for this comes from NASA's Cassini space probe, which studied Saturn and its moons for over a decade.
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The analysis results showed an irregularity in the orbit of Saturn's moon, which, according to the researchers, is due to the formation of the ocean.
The researchers were also able to infer the size and depth of the ocean from the exact changes in Mimas' orbit.
In addition to discovering Saturn's moons, the research also uncovered new information about the planet itself.
So it was determined that Saturn's rings will disappear over time.
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