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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.

9 of 48 comments (clear)

  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 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.
    4. 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.

  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 binarylarry · · Score: 2

      yes but does it have Jesus?

      --
      Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
  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.

  4. 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