SETI Live - The Mysterious Ocean of Saturn’s Moon, Mimas

The 365 Days of Astronomy

Recorded 8 February 2024.

Join us for an exciting SETI Live where we’ll explore the wonders beyond Earth. We’re excited to have Dr. Valéry Lainey, a renowned researcher from the Paris Observatory in France, as our guest. Dr. Franck Marchis, our Senior Astronomer, will be guiding the conversation, sharing insights from the universe. It’s set to be an engaging event, and we hope you’ll be part of it!

In a groundbreaking study published in Nature Journal, Valery Lainey and his team have unveiled a remarkable discovery about Saturn’s moon Mimas. Once thought to be a cold, solid body of ice and rock, Mimas now appears to harbor a vast global ocean beneath its icy crust. This revelation comes after a meticulous analysis of Mimas’s orbit, as observed by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, which showed unexpected wobbles that suggest the presence of an under-ice ocean.

For years, the scientific community was skeptical about the possibility of an ocean within Mimas, mainly because the expected surface deformations were absent. However, Lainey’s research, based on recent simulations and precise orbital measurements, suggests that an ocean could exist without leaving visible marks on the moon’s surface. This finding not only reshapes our understanding of Mimas but also opens new avenues in the search for habitable environments beyond Earth.

Press release: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2416084-saturns-moon-mimas-may-be-hiding-a-vast-global-ocean-under-its-ice/

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