A groundbreaking discovery has been unveiled as scientists find evidence of a global ocean beneath the surface of Mimas, one of Saturn’s smallest moons. Led by Dr. Valéry Lainey from the Observatoire de Paris-PSL, the study, published in the journal Nature, reveals that Mimas houses a relatively “young” ocean formed merely 5 to 15 million years ago. This revelation places Mimas in an exclusive group of moons, including Enceladus and Europa, each harboring internal oceans but with a unique distinction—Mimas boasts an exceptionally youthful ocean.
Despite its modest size, approximately 400 kilometers in diameter, Mimas had concealed its ocean beneath its heavily cratered surface, leaving astronomers surprised. The moon’s recent inclusion in the list of celestial bodies with internal oceans resulted from a meticulous analysis of its tidal interactions with Saturn, unveiling an unexpected irregularity in its orbit.
Dr. Nick Cooper, a co-author of the study and Honorary Research Fellow in the Astronomy Unit of the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences at Queen Mary University of London, underscores the significance of Mimas’s age: “Its ocean is remarkably young, estimated to be only 5 to 15 million years old.” This discovery provides a unique opportunity to observe the early stages of ocean formation and explore the potential for life to emerge.
Data from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, which extensively studied Saturn and its moons over a decade, played a crucial role in this revelation. By scrutinizing subtle changes in Mimas’s orbit, researchers inferred the presence of a hidden ocean and estimated its size and depth.
Dr. Cooper emphasizes the collaborative effort behind the discovery: “This has been a great team effort, with colleagues from five different institutions and three different countries coming together under the leadership of Dr Valéry Lainey to unlock another fascinating and unexpected feature of the Saturn system, using data from the Cassini mission.”
The revelation of Mimas’s young ocean carries profound implications for our understanding of extraterrestrial life. It suggests that even seemingly inactive and smaller moons can harbor hidden oceans capable of supporting life-sustaining conditions. This discovery opens up exciting possibilities for future exploration, propelling us closer to addressing the age-old question: are we alone in the universe?
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