Hidden beneath the heavily cratered surface of Mimas, one of Saturn’s smallest moons, lies a secret: a global ocean of liquid water.
Mimas
Posted inEnceladus, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mimas, Saturn, Status Report, Titan, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Long-Term Evolution of the Saturnian System
Here we present the current state of knowledge on the long-term evolution of Saturn’s moon system due to tides within Saturn. First we provide some background on tidal evolution, orbital […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Callisto, Enceladus, Europa, Ganymede, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mimas, Pluto, Press Release, Triton
Spectroscopic Detection of Biosignatures in Natural Ice Samples as a Proxy for Icy Moons
Some of the icy moons of the solar system with a subsurface ocean, such as Europa and Enceladus, are the targets of future space missions that search for potential extraterrestrial […]
Posted inIcy Worlds, Mimas, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
SwRI Investigations Reveal More Evidence That Mimas Is A Stealth Ocean World
When a Southwest Research Institute scientist discovered surprising evidence that Saturn’s smallest, innermost moon could generate the right amount of heat to support a liquid internal ocean, colleagues began studying […]
Posted inEnceladus, Icy Worlds, Mimas, Press Release, Titan
Particle Deposition On The Saturnian Satellites From Ephemeral Cryovolcanism On Enceladus
The geologically active south pole of Enceladus generates a plume of micron-sized particles, which likely form Saturn’s tenuous E-ring extending from the orbit of Mimas to Titan. Interactions between these […]
Posted inIcy Worlds, Mimas, Press Release
Evidence For An Internal Ocean On Mimas
A Southwest Research Institute scientist set out to prove that the tiny, innermost moon of Saturn was a frozen inert satellite and instead discovered compelling evidence that Mimas has a […]
Posted inEnceladus, Icy Worlds, Status Report
'Snow-Cannon' Enceladus Shines Up Saturn's Super-Reflective Moons
Radar observations of Saturn’s moons, Mimas, Enceladus and Tethys, show that Enceladus is acting as a ‘snow-cannon,’ coating itself and its neighbours with fresh water-ice particles to make them dazzlingly […]