One of Uranus's moons likely conceals a vast underground ocean of liquid water.
A recent study has uncovered an astonishing discovery on Miranda, one of Uranus's moons. This finding could place it on the short list of worlds with potentially habitable environments.
Reports UNN citing the scientific website Space.
Over the past few decades, planetary scientists have continually expanded the list of moons in our Solar System that may harbor internal oceans, either currently or at some point in the past. Most of these moons (such as Europa or Enceladus) are gravitationally bound to the gas giants Jupiter or Saturn.
However, researchers have recently turned their attention to the icy giant Uranus, the coldest planet in the Solar System.
A new study, based on images taken by the Voyager 2 spacecraft, reveals a deep liquid ocean hidden beneath the surface of Miranda, the icy moon of Uranus.
Remnants of this ocean may still exist today, according to Caleb Strom, a graduate student at the University of North Dakota, who collaborated with Nordheim and Alex Pattoff from the Planetary Institute in Arizona. The specialists examined Voyager 2 images with the aim of explaining Miranda's enigmatic geology through reverse engineering of surface features.
Recall that
Researchers discovered traces of a massive underground water reservoir on Mars at depths of 11.5 to 20 km. This discovery could alter our understanding of the planet's evolution and the potential for microbial life.