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Saturn's 'Death Star' Moon May Hide Subsurface Ocean

Posted by samzenpus on from the that's-no-ocean dept.

astroengine writes With its heavily cratered, geologically dead surface, Saturn's moon Mimas was considered to be scientifically boring. But appearances can be deceiving. Using data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft, new research shows something strange inside Mimas that is causing the moon to sway as it orbits around the ringed gas giant. Computer models point to two possibilities. First is that Mimas, which is about 250 miles in diameter, has an oblong or football-shaped core, a clue that the moon may have formed inside Saturn's ice rings. The second option is that Mimas has a global ocean located 16 miles to 19 miles beneath its icy crust.

48 comments

  1. That's No Moon by sexconker · · Score: 3, Funny

    It's a space station!

    1. Re:That's No Moon by chinton · · Score: 5, Funny

      ... It's a swimming pool!

    2. Re:That's No Moon by geekoid · · Score: 5, Insightful

      How awesome would that be? On closer inspect, it is a defunct battle station of unknown origins.

      We would be there in a decade, easy.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    3. Re:That's No Moon by Verdatum · · Score: 1

      It's a....It's a.....It's a rocket ship!!

    4. Re:That's No Moon by CanEHdian · · Score: 4, Funny

      On closer inspect, it is a defunct battle station of unknown origins.

      Come a little closer, and witness the firepower of this fully ARMED and OPERATIONAL battle station!

      --
      When the copyright term is "forever minus a day", live every day like it's the last.
    5. Re:That's No Moon by JasonGoatcher · · Score: 0

      It's transportation to other solar systems and the means to duplicate it. There's no Prime Directive, if you can get to the space station and get it up and running then BOOM, you're a galactic citizen with all that that entails.

      And you even get a free ride back to Earth.

      And, yes, I'm totally joking.

    6. Re:That's No Moon by rubycodez · · Score: 2

      Boom, you're in a trap set to detect when possible competing sentient life in the galaxy arises on Earth. The aliens come and scrub the planet clean of big brained primates. GW Bush and Rush Limbaugh are of course left to live, but there are no women at all.

    7. Re:That's No Moon by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      For Christ's sake. The article title was practically begging for this response. Why would anyone mod this up? Yes, yes. Star Wars. Yes. We all know that Star Wars was a movie, and that a character in the movie said that. That's super funny. Clearly, we should heap praise upon sexconker for having had the brilliant idea of connecting this stupid article title with the painfully obvious pop culture reference.

    8. Re:That's No Moon by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I find your lack of faith disturbing.

  2. The quesiton that interests me by i+kan+reed · · Score: 3, Interesting

    can it have life? We know life on earth adapted to survive on sulfur vents, which means sunlight based energy isn't necessary for life to continue.

    But what about abiogenesis? Miller-Urey showed us that lightning was a very important component in amino acids first appearing. Is there a tidal or geothermal way to cause the same thing?

    I'm pretty interested in the possibility of liquid water alone being enough.

    1. Re:The quesiton that interests me by geekoid · · Score: 1

      If it has liquid water, it has heat. Therefore there could be life.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    2. Re:The quesiton that interests me by binarylarry · · Score: 2

      yes but does it have Jesus?

      --
      Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
    3. Re:The quesiton that interests me by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 1

      yes but does it have Jesus?

      Space Jesus.

      --
      It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
    4. Re:The quesiton that interests me by binarylarry · · Score: 1

      He's a wily one, that Space Jesus.

      Not a total prankster like Earth Jesus.

      --
      Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
    5. Re:The quesiton that interests me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Medieval German doctors were the first to propose animation from lightening.
        Men of faith, while believing in mysterious things, still tend to flee indoors during thunderstorms. I just don't know why there is a tendency for conjecture that insists on absolutely everything being the result of aliens from another planet. Occams razor still applies when you compare whether life started on a deadly hostile environment of Saturns moons, rather than Earth. Now, it may be a false belief that God would strike me dead with lightening, it is certainly more plausable than idiot geniuses hunting for tadpoles in a storm.
      Right? The difference between scientists of the late 1800's and the scientists of today is back then, they weren't a bunch of morons who couldn't measure the speed of light, or figure out conservation of energy calculations..as the last two Slashdot stories were told about the progress of cold fusion and CERN. Seriously guys,, you better start praying for enlightenment. You're just too dumb to figure this stuff out on your own. Even with systemd doing it for you. (BAZINGA!)

    6. Re:The quesiton that interests me by JasonGoatcher · · Score: 0

      I know this is a troll, but you don't need Jesus if you don't have religion in the first place. It's only when you have to ability to gain knowledge and use it that things get all weird.

    7. Re:The quesiton that interests me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, it's a JOKE. A troll isn't a joke. They're designed to elicit the opposite reactions. FFS people, this isn't hard. And it's idiots like you that wonder why you keep getting called a troll whenever someone disagrees with you...

    8. Re:The quesiton that interests me by rubycodez · · Score: 1

      Just lucky, no trees means no lumber means no crosses to be crucified upon.

    9. Re:The quesiton that interests me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Space Jesus is best Jesus!

    10. Re:The quesiton that interests me by sharknado · · Score: 1

      yes but does it have Jesus?

      Thanks, I just snorted my coke.

    11. Re:The quesiton that interests me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Off-topic religious or political comments are always a troll.

    12. Re:The quesiton that interests me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      they weren't a bunch of morons who couldn't measure the speed of light, or figure out conservation of energy calculations

      Have you even looked at much science from the 19th century? If you are only considering the people and work that are famous for standing the test of time, then it shouldn't be a surprise that their work is still viewed as good. There were all sorts of crazy ideas for generating energy, and some horrendous measurements of the speed of light that were off by an order of magnitude. There always have been a share of bad scientists, the difference now is that mistakes for some of those things are in the parts per million or billion, something far beyond the detail of previous centuries.

    13. Re:The quesiton that interests me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You have no idea what a troll is. Please go back to bed and let the adults talk.

  3. What? by KeensMustard · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Saturn's moon Mimas was considered to be scientifically boring. Is there really such a thing as a scale of scientific boredom? What is the unit of measure?

    I'd understand if TS said: considered a lower priority compared to the other bizarre and wonderful things in orbit around Saturn. That's believable given the level of freaky associated with some of the other satellites. But nothing about Mimas says 'boring'. As for scientifically boring I don't think that is a thing.

    1. Re:What? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You did not have my physics teacher. There is a unit of scientific boredom and it is measured in how long a physics teacher can make the last five minutes of class seem.

    2. Re:What? by Wycliffe · · Score: 1

      I think "rock" is synonymous with boring. We've pretty much concluded that the moon is boring which
      is why we've decided to explore elsewhere. The opposite of "boring" is of course "exciting". What
      makes something scientifically exciting is that it either is something we can't explain or helps confirm
      something we already think we know. What makes something boring is if there is nothing new to
      discover there. My backyard is scientifically boring. You're unlikely to discover something novel in
      it. It's possible to find a new mouse that is unknown but it's unlikely. The interesting non-boring
      stuff in our solar system are places that might harbor life or are most likely to help further explain
      physical processes like the creation of planets or the solar system.

    3. Re:What? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think "rock" is synonymous with boring.

      I suspect that geologists may disagree with you there.

    4. Re:What? by KeensMustard · · Score: 1

      I think "rock" is synonymous with boring.

      I daresay that geologists will disagree with you. So clearly, "boring" is not a scientific measure, it lacks objectivity.

      Also regardless of that Mimas could hardly be considered a 'rock'. It's made of rock (well, mostly), but look at the thing: http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/s...

  4. Mimas is up to no good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hiding a subsurface ocean? If Mimas wasn't doing anything wrong, it should have nothing to hide.

    1. Re:Mimas is up to no good. by umghhh · · Score: 1

      send all nsa there ?

  5. It's obvious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's an egg. The first question is what layed it. The second is what came first.

    1. Re:It's obvious by CanEHdian · · Score: 1

      SPOILER ALERT

      Please stop throwing Dr. Who surprise plots around.

      --
      When the copyright term is "forever minus a day", live every day like it's the last.
  6. Isn't there a movie about this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Astronauts go a to a Saturn moon because they believe there is life. I'll stop there so I don't spoil the plot...

    1. Re:Isn't there a movie about this? by kilfarsnar · · Score: 1

      Not a bad movie. Europa Report, I think it was called. Kinda slow, but good payoff at the end.

      --
      "What the American public doesn't know is what makes them the American public." -Ray Zalinsky (Tommy Boy)
    2. Re:Isn't there a movie about this? by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 1

      Seconded. I was expecting cheesy space horror, but was pleasantly surprised.

      --
      systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
    3. Re:Isn't there a movie about this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Be warned that it's "found footage", which automatically makes it unwatchable for many.

    4. Re:Isn't there a movie about this? by michael_rendier · · Score: 1

      [SPOILER] It's the light...it seems to make them agressive

      --
      There are three kinds of people in the world. Those that can count, and those that can't.
  7. Obligatory... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Along with the pictures came the usual post-it note:

    All these worlds are yours except Mimas; attempt no landings there...

  8. Kerbal problem by pellik · · Score: 1

    I cant help but read this as Minmus.

    1. Re:Kerbal problem by UltraOne · · Score: 1

      Same here - along with a mental picture of the minty green color.

  9. NASA's cassini by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    .That (http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Cassini-Huygens/Cassini_spacecraft )one?

    1. Re:NASA's cassini by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yep, that (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/main/) one.

  10. Men Without Faith by SuperKendall · · Score: 2

    A) Is a damn good name for a rock & roll band.

    B) Are apparently people who stay OUTDOORS during a thunderstorm and thus prone to being struck my lightning, or brought down by fevers from standing outside in the rain like some of the dumbest animals on the planet?

    I guess this would explain how religion has done so well and science has struggled overall.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  11. It came from Europa. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Will there be space squids in it?

  12. Foor-ball shaped... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...means different things depending on which type of football you call football.

    To me, football-shaped is spherical. Is that really what the article means?

    1. Re:Foor-ball shaped... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Let me check, is NASA from the USA. Yep, then it probably means American Football. Man that was tough to figure out based on context.

  13. Evil Space Whales by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That's where all the Evil Space Whales have been hiding!

  14. Why only two possibilities? by Hirsch · · Score: 1

    "Computer models point to two possibilities" ...
    Hollywood plot writers point to dozens of possibilities:
    1. Gargantuan space monster is about to hatch
    2. Micro black hole has consumed part of the core ... and its growing faster!
    3. Mimas, you're drunk. Go home!
    4. Transformers are line dancing, causing this wobble ...
    you know there's more!