Saturn's Moon Mimas might have massive ocean under its thick icy surface: Study
Astronomers had long speculated that Mimas might have an ocean hidden underneath the surface, a claim which now has been cemented to some extent.
- Science News
- 2 min read
Saturn’s Moon Mimas is hiding a ‘stealth’ ocean beneath its thick ice-covered surface, claims a new study conducted by astronomers at the Southwest Research Institute in Colorado. With a diameter of 395 kilometres, Mimas is covered in 32 kilometres of thick ice and is the smallest cosmic entity that has still maintained its round shape thanks to its self-gravitation. Scientists, using data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft gathered in 2014, had long speculated that Mimas might have an ocean hidden underneath the surface, a claim which now has been cemented to some extent.
What do new observations suggest?
Nicknamed Saturn I, Mimas is the closest Moon to its host planet and has an extremely deceptive appearance. As of now, it has given nothing in the name of evidence, such as fracturing or signs of melting, that would point towards an ocean beneath the surface. Alyssa Rhoden, lead author of the research, which has been published in the journal Icarus told New Scientist-
When we look at a body like Mimas, it is a little, cold, dead rock. If you put Mimas in a gallery with a bunch of other icy moons, you would never look at it and say "oh, that one has an ocean".
After analysing the data gathered by the Cassini spacecraft, the scientists found that there was indeed something wobbling under the Mimas' surface when it spun, that came as the first evidence of an ocean. Once they got their hands on the first evidence, the astronomers ran simulations to determine the heat Mimas would experience from Saturn's gravity and the effect that will be caused on the Moon's outer shell. The simulations suggested that Saturn's gravity produces enough heat to support a liquid ocean some 29 kilometres beneath without cracking the outer icy surface.
"An ocean within Mimas would be surprising, given the lack of comparable geologic activity to that observed on other ocean-bearing moons like Europa and Enceladus, and thus has important implications for the prevalence and identification of ocean worlds", the researchers noted in their study, as per Daily Mail. Moreover, they added that if an astronomical body like Mimas could have an ocean, then there are many icy worlds that need an inspection in order to learn about the different lesser-known habitats in our solar system.