Like a lightbulb switching between high- and low-power modes, Saturn pumps into space varying amounts of heat based on its seasons, a fresh analysis of data from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft reveals. A noticeable effect of this flux is turbulence in Saturn‘s atmosphere, which whips up storms across its north and south hemispheres strong enough to […]
New research has revealed the sliding side-by-side motion along distinctive “tiger stripes” on Saturn’s moon Enceladus is linked to jets of ice crystals that erupt from its icy shell. The findings could help determine the characteristics of this icy moon of Saturn’s subsurface ocean and, thus, if Enceladus is favorable to life. The tiger stripes […]
NASA’s delayed Dragonfly drone mission to Saturn’s largest moon Titan is on track to launch in July 2028, the space agency confirmed late Tuesday (April 16). The highly anticipated decision greenlights the mission team to proceed to final mission design and testing in preparation for the revised launch date. The car-sized Dragonfly, which is being […]
Earlier this year, researchers discovered that a vast liquid ocean lurks beneath the icy shell of Saturn’s tiny moon, Mimas. Now the same team may have discovered how it was created. New research suggests that as Mimas‘ orbit around Saturn became less flattened, or less “eccentric” due to the ringed planet’s pull, its icy shell […]
Saturn has 146 confirmed moons – more than any other planet in the solar system – but one called Enceladus stands out. It appears to have the ingredients for life. From 2004 to 2017, Cassini – a joint mission between NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency – investigated Saturn, its rings […]
Titan’s underground ocean, and similar oceans inside other icy moons in the outer solar system, may lack the organic chemistry necessary for life, according to new astrobiological research. Titan is Saturn‘s largest moon, and the second largest moon in the entire solar system. It’s famous for being shrouded in a smog of petrochemicals and for […]
Astronomers have discovered that a tiny moon of Saturn, named Mimas, may harbor a hidden liquid ocean beneath its thick icy shell and may thus have the conditions for habitability. This shocking finding radically changes the definition of what an ocean moon can be, and could ultimately redefine our search for alien life on moons […]
Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. Astronomers have uncovered additional evidence that one of Saturn’s smallest moons, Mimas, is hiding a global ocean beneath its icy surface. Building a stronger case for the presence of water — essential to life as we […]
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Astronomers have found the best evidence yet of a vast, young ocean beneath the icy exterior of Saturn’s Death Star lookalike mini moon. The French-led team analyzed changes in Mimas’ orbit and rotation and reported Wednesday that a hidden ocean 12 to 18 miles (20 to 30 kilometers) beneath the […]
By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Saturn’s moon Mimas is known for its uncanny resemblance to the dreaded Death Star in the original “Star Wars” movie. But it has another intriguing distinction as well, according to researchers – a subsurface ocean hidden under its icy and crater-scarred outer shell. Astronomers said on Wednesday that data […]
Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. The disappearing “magic islands” on Saturn’s largest moon Titan have intrigued scientists since NASA’s Cassini mission spotted them during flybys a decade ago. Now, researchers believe they have unraveled the phenomenon’s secrets. The ephemeral features were […]
The floating “magic islands” of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, may finally have a scientific explanation. Scientists believe they’re clumps of glacier-like snow shaped like honeycomb. The so-called islands were first spotted in 2014 by the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft as it peered through the orange haze surrounding Titan, which is a moon that’s bigger than the planet […]