“Mimas: Saturn’s Smallest Moon May Have a Liquid Ocean, and Researchers Are Baffled”
Astronomical Discovery of Potential Habitable Liquid Water on Saturn’s Moon Mimas
Astonishing Potential of Liquid Ocean on Mimas
ASTRONOMERS have uncovered that one of Saturn’s smallest moons may harbor a liquid ocean.
Mimas: Saturn’s Moon Resembling the Death Star
Dubbed Mimas, the Saturnian moon features a heavily cratered surface resembling Star Wars’s Death Star.
The Presence of Liquid Water on Mimas
More notable than its look, however, is that it might possess an ocean beneath its thick icy shell. The presence of liquid water could make Mimas one of the most potentially habitable places in our solar system.
The Discovery of Mima’s Liquid Ocean
The major finding here is the discovery of habitability conditions on a solar system object which we would never, never expect to have liquid water,” Valery Lainey, discovery team member and a scientist at the Observatoire de Paris, told Space.com.
Possible Habitable Liquid Beach on Saturn’s Moon
Researchers say the ocean could be located around 12 to 19 miles below the ice and could host microbial life. Mima’s liquid ocean could also consist of at least half of the moon’s volume. If the ocean is confirmed, this could change how astronomers search for alien life.
Research Behind the Discovery of Liquid Ocean on Mimas
Researchers are basing their theories on data gathered by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, which was launched in 1997 into Saturn’s system. Specifically, they looked at the rotational motion of Mimas using the Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS).
Surprising Results from Cassini’s Data on Mimas
“It measured libration amplitude of −50.3 ± 1.0 arcmin was found for the Mimas orbital frequency,” the study reads. “It was deduced that Mimas should harbor either a highly elongated silicate core or a global ocean,” it continued.
What Next After Discovering Liquid Water on Saturn’s Moon?
Lainey hopes that future missions will eventually land a spacecraft on the surface of Mimas. “I’m pretty sure any space mission to Enceladus will also visit Mimas as they are extremely close, and they are extremely similar ocean systems but at different times in their evolution,” he explained.
In conclusion, the potential habitable conditions and the presence of liquid water on Mimas presents a fascinating discovery that could reshape our understanding of the universe and our search for extraterrestrial life.