Scientists at Nasa have discovered that four of the icy moons of Uranus might have hidden oceans beneath their surfaces, two of which could be warm enough to support life.
Nasa scientists analyzed data from Voyager 2 flybys of Uranus in the 1980s along with computer modelling to determine that the moons Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon likely have oceans between their cores and icy crusts, some of which could be dozens of miles deep.
Using computer simulations, the scientists were able to see what might be happening under the icy surface of the Uranian moons.
They found that the moons’ rocky mantles release hot liquid, which could help maintain a warm environment for oceans to thrive.
The researchers also discovered that the moons’ surfaces are porous enough to keep internal heat, which could be another factor contributing to the presence of oceans. This is particularly true for Titania and Oberon, which could potentially support habitability.
One of the key findings in the study was that chlorides and ammonia are likely abundant in the oceans of Uranus’ largest moons.
Ammonia is known to act as antifreeze, and the salts present in the water would also be another source of antifreeze, maintaining the bodies’ internal oceans.
However, the study also showed that not all of the Uranian moons would have had the right conditions to maintain oceans. For example, Miranda, the fifth largest moon and the innermost of Uranus’ large moons, might have had an ocean at some point but is now frozen.
The National Academies’ 2023 Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey prioritized exploring Uranus.
In preparation for such a mission, planetary scientists are focusing on the ice giant to bolster their knowledge about the mysterious Uranus system.
Published in the Journal of Geophysical Research, the new work could inform how a future mission might investigate the moons, but the paper also has implications that go beyond Uranus, said lead author Julie Castillo-Rogez of Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
‘When it comes to small bodies – dwarf planets and moons – planetary scientists previously have found evidence of oceans in several unlikely places, including the dwarf planets Ceres and Pluto, and Saturn’s moon Mimas,’ she said.
‘So there are mechanisms at play that we don’t fully understand. This paper investigates what those could be and how they are relevant to the many bodies in the solar system that could be rich in water but have limited internal heat.’
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