Earlier this year, a team of researchers had discovered that hiding beneath the surface of Saturn's icy moon Mimas was a huge ocean, accounting for almost half its volume. Now, the same team may have identified how the huge water body was created.

<h2>Creation of an ocean</h2>

New research published in the journal Planetary Science Letters suggests that the ocean may have something to do with how Mimas orbits around Saturn.

Researchers speculate that Mimas, which currently has a thin icy shell, once had a thick frozen exterior. However, as the moon's orbit around the ringed planet became less flattened or "eccentric" due to Saturn's pull, the icy shell melted and thinned.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-juno-captures-erupting-volcanoes-on-jupiters-moon-io-watch-712172">NASA's Juno captures closest views of erupting volcanoes on Jupiter's moon Io. Watch!</a>

This, the researchers say, around two to 25 million years ago created a vast subsurface ocean, which is relatively young for a solar system feature.&nbsp;

"In our previous work, we found that for Mimas to be an ocean world today, it must have had a much thicker icy shell in the past. But because Mimas' eccentricity would have been even higher in the past, the pathway to get from thick ice to thinner ice was less clear," said the research team leader Matthew E. Walker in a statement.

"In this work, we showed that there is a pathway for the ice shell to be thinning currently, even as the eccentricity is dropping due to tidal heating. However, the ocean must be very young, geologically speaking," added Walker, who's a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/ancient-humans-lived-in-this-vast-lava-tube-in-saudi-arabia-7000-years-ago-712474">Ancient humans lived in THIS vast lava tube in Saudi Arabia 7,000 years ago</a>

The moon nicknamed 'death star' due to the Herschel crater, which gives it an appearance resembling the Empire's moon-sized space station in Star Wars, has a diameter of just around 148 miles (238.18 kilometres). This means it is around eight times smaller than Earth's moon, which has a diameter of 2,159 miles (3,474.57 kilometres).&nbsp;

Its ocean is located around 20 to 30 kilometres beneath the ice crust surface and is estimated to be 40 to 45 kilometres deep, thereby accounting for as much as half of Mimas' volume.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Earlier this year, a team of researchers had discovered that hiding beneath the surface of Saturn's icy moon Mimas was a huge ocean, accounting for almost half its volume.

Earlier this year, a team of researchers had discovered that hiding beneath the surface of Saturn's icy moon Mimas was a huge ocean, accounting for almost half its volume. Now, the same team may have identified how the huge water body was created. Creation of an ocean New research published in the journal Planetary Science Letters suggests that the ocean may have something to do with how Mimas orbits around Saturn. Researchers speculate that Mimas, which currently has a thin icy shell, once had a thick frozen exterior. However, as the moon's orbit around the ringed planet became less flattened or "eccentric" due to Saturn's pull, the icy shell melted and thinned. Also read | NASA's Juno captures closest views of erupting volcanoes on Jupiter's moon Io. Watch! This, the researchers say, around two to 25 million years ago created a vast subsurface ocean, which is relatively young for a solar system feature. "In our previous work, we found that for Mimas to be an ocean world today, it must have had a much thicker icy shell in the past. But because Mimas' eccentricity would have been even higher in the past, the pathway to get from thick ice to thinner ice was less clear," said the research team leader Matthew E. Walker in a statement. "In this work, we showed that there is a pathway for the ice shell to be thinning currently, even as the eccentricity is dropping due to tidal heating. However, the ocean must be very young, geologically speaking," added Walker, who's a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute. Also read | Ancient humans lived in THIS vast lava tube in Saudi Arabia 7,000 years ago The moon nicknamed 'death star' due to the Herschel crater, which gives it an appearance resembling the Empire's moon-sized space station in Star Wars, has a diameter of just around 148 miles (238.18 kilometres). This means it is around eight times smaller than Earth's moon, which has a diameter of 2,159 miles (3,474.57 kilometres). Its ocean is located around 20 to 30 kilometres beneath the ice crust surface and is estimated to be 40 to 45 kilometres deep, thereby accounting for as much as half of Mimas' volume. (With inputs from agencies)

Tiny moon, big ocean: THIS is how a huge ocean was created on Saturn's 'Death Star' moon Mimas

A new research has revealed that an ice moon on Saturn could be a 'stealth' ocean world hospitable to life.

The study, published in the journal Icarus, states that Saturn's innermost moon Mimas may contain a liquid internal ocean.

Saturn is now being recognised as the “moon king” of our solar system, with astronomers spotting 20 more of them orbiting the giant ringed planet, bringing its total count to 82,&nbsp;three more than Jupiter.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/in-a-first-astronomers-identify-mysterious-particles-in-primordial-soup-447255" hreflang="en">In a first, astronomers identify mysterious particles in 'primordial soup'</a>

As per the study's lead author Alyssa Rhoden, a scientist at Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, "If Mimas has an ocean, it represents a new class of small, 'stealth' ocean worlds with surfaces that do not betray the ocean's existence."&nbsp;

English astronomer William Herschel had discovered Mimas, the smallest and closest to Saturn of the ringed planet's&nbsp;moons, in 1789. It resembles the Death Star from Star Wars.

"Because the surface of Mimas is heavily cratered, we thought it was just a frozen block of ice," said Rhoden, who is also the co-leader of NASA's Network for Ocean Worlds Research Coordination Network.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-discover-black-hole-that-contains-200000-times-mass-of-the-sun-buried-in-gas-443984" hreflang="en">Astronomers discover black hole that contains 200,000 times mass of the Sun buried in gas</a>

"IWOWs, such as Enceladus and Europa, tend to be fractured and show other signs of geologic activity. Turns out, Mimas' surface was tricking us, and our new understanding has greatly expanded the definition of a potentially habitable world in our solar system and beyond."

Saturn, a gas giant made up mostly of hydrogen and helium, is the second-largest planet in the solar system and the sixth from the sun. Its diameter of about 72,000 miles (116,000 km) dwarf’s Earth diameter of about 7,900 miles (12,700 km).

Only Jupiter, the fifth planet from the sun, is larger. Saturn formed with the other planets and the sun about 4.5 billion years ago.

"Evaluating Mimas' status as an ocean moon would benchmark models of its formation and evolution," Rhoden said.

"This would help us better understand Saturn's rings and mid-sized moons as well as the prevalence of potentially habitable ocean moons, particularly at Uranus. Mimas is a compelling target for continued investigation."

(With inputs from agencies)

A new research has revealed that an ice moon on Saturn could be a 'stealth' ocean world hospitable to life. The study, published in the journal Icarus, states that Saturn's innermost moon Mimas may contain a liquid internal ocean.

A new research has revealed that an ice moon on Saturn could be a 'stealth' ocean world hospitable to life. The study, published in the journal Icarus, states that Saturn's innermost moon Mimas may contain a liquid internal ocean. Saturn is now being recognised as the “moon king” of our solar system, with astronomers spotting 20 more of them orbiting the giant ringed planet, bringing its total count to 82, three more than Jupiter. Also read | In a first, astronomers identify mysterious particles in 'primordial soup' As per the study's lead author Alyssa Rhoden, a scientist at Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, "If Mimas has an ocean, it represents a new class of small, 'stealth' ocean worlds with surfaces that do not betray the ocean's existence." English astronomer William Herschel had discovered Mimas, the smallest and closest to Saturn of the ringed planet's moons, in 1789. It resembles the Death Star from Star Wars. "Because the surface of Mimas is heavily cratered, we thought it was just a frozen block of ice," said Rhoden, who is also the co-leader of NASA's Network for Ocean Worlds Research Coordination Network. Also read | Astronomers discover black hole that contains 200,000 times mass of the Sun buried in gas "IWOWs, such as Enceladus and Europa, tend to be fractured and show other signs of geologic activity. Turns out, Mimas' surface was tricking us, and our new understanding has greatly expanded the definition of a potentially habitable world in our solar system and beyond." Saturn, a gas giant made up mostly of hydrogen and helium, is the second-largest planet in the solar system and the sixth from the sun. Its diameter of about 72,000 miles (116,000 km) dwarf’s Earth diameter of about 7,900 miles (12,700 km). Only Jupiter, the fifth planet from the sun, is larger. Saturn formed with the other planets and the sun about 4.5 billion years ago. "Evaluating Mimas' status as an ocean moon would benchmark models of its formation and evolution," Rhoden said. "This would help us better understand Saturn's rings and mid-sized moons as well as the prevalence of potentially habitable ocean moons, particularly at Uranus. Mimas is a compelling target for continued investigation." (With inputs from agencies)

This ice moon, which resembles the Death Star from Star Wars, could be hospitable to life

mimas

Mimas, News on Mimas, stories on Mimas, articles on Mimas, Mimas stories at Wion, Mimas news, Mimas latest news