NASA: Saturn moon is covered by ocean

  25 September 2015    Read: 1276
NASA: Saturn moon is covered by ocean
Cassini spacecraft of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has revealed many things about Saturn and its natural satellites. Scientists on the mission have long thought that between the rocky core and icy crust of the sixth-largest moon of Saturn, Enceladus, there an ocean. Now, data from the spacecraft suggested that the entire moon is covered by ocean.
In a recent study, researchers used pictures taken by Cassini spacecraft to find evidence about the presence of ocean on the moon. They examined pictures taken by the spacecraft in last seven years to understand how the Saturn`s moon wobbles. After analyzing the images, the researchers found that ice crust of the moon may be moving from the core, which means an ocean has covered the moon.

Enceladus is the latest moon in the list of moons that have oceans beneath their surface. There are many moons in our solar system that could have huge oceans under their icy crust. Earlier, NASA researchers found that sixth-closest moon of Jupiter, Europa, can have an ocean that covers the moon`s entire surface.



Discovery of ocean beneath the surface of Enceladus is more useful than other previous discoveries. According to researchers, some past studies have found that Enceladus has a kind of activity that can support life.

Carolyn Porco, co-author of the new study, said, "This is a major step beyond what we understood about this moon before, and it demonstrates the kind of deep-dive discoveries we can make with long-lived orbiter missions to other planets. Cassini has been exemplary in this regard".

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