CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Astronomers have found the best evidence yet of a vast, young ocean beneath the icy exterior of Saturn’s Death Star lookalike mini moon.
Barely 250 miles (400 kilometers) in diameter, the heavily cratered moon lacks the fractures and geysers — typical signs of subsurface activity — of Saturn’s Enceladus and Jupiter’s Europa.
Photos You Should See View All 45 ImagesThe ocean is believed to fill half of Mimas’ volume, according to Lainey.
But at the seafloor, he said the water temperature could be much warmer.
Co-author Nick Cooper of Queen Mary University of London said the existence of a “remarkably young” ocean of liquid water makes Mimas a prime candidate for studying the origin of life.
Persons:
Cassini, “ Mimas, ”, Valery Lainey, Alyssa Rose Rhoden, Nick Cooper, William Herschel, Mimas
Organizations:
—, Paris Observatory, Star, “ Star, Research, Queen Mary University of London, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP
Locations:
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla