A groundbreaking study suggests that oceans exist on Uranus’ moon Miranda . The discovery challenges previous ideas about its composition and raises the possibility that this distant satellite may have conditions conducive to life.
Tom Nordheim, a planetary scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, says finding evidence of an ocean on a body as small as Miranda is a surprise. Images captured by Voyager 2 in 1986 showed unique geology on the moon’s southern hemisphere , characterized by cliffs, cratered areas and trapezoidal structures, leading scientists to speculate about possible tidal forces within the moon.
Models reveal possibility of oceans in Miranda
To understand Miranda’s composition, the team led by Nordheim and Caleb Strom of the University of North Dakota developed computer models that recreated the impact of tidal forces on its geology. These simulations showed that Miranda may have been in an orbital resonance with other Uranus moons 100 to 500 million years ago . The gravitational pulls of this configuration would have generated friction and heat in its interior, allowing an ocean to form beneath the moon’s crust.
Although Miranda is only 235 km in radius, this subsurface ocean could have reached up to half of its internal volume , covered by a 30 km-thick icy crust. This highlights the potential of icy moons of distant planets as possible environments for life, similar to what has been observed on Saturn’s moon Enceladus, another icy body with geological activity.
Possible oases of extraterrestrial life?
Researchers suggest that Miranda’s interior may still be cooling, leaving open the possibility that this ocean persists today. However, confirming the existence of this ocean and its habitability would require a future exploration mission.
The discovery underscores the importance of investigating Uranus’ icy moons, a region of the solar system that still holds many unknowns. Miranda and other Uranus moons are emerging as important targets in the search for extraterrestrial life . Future missions could reveal whether these icy bodies contain water reserves and conditions that would support life.
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Source: IOP Science
Photo: Shutterstock
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