Researchers could find how Mimas, the smallest of Saturn's moons diverse entourage of icy satellites formed because there is a surface sea or a roughly-shaped core might lie in it.
Like in all the moons they turn around in its own axis and facing its planet, but this astronomer Radwan Tajeddine from the Cornell University, noticed that his turn its further than the other moons. The researchers suggest in the Oct. 17 Science that the large twists must be caused by an unusual distribution of mass inside Mimas, which is just under 400 kilometers across.
Tajeddine and colleagues think the most likely culprit is an elongated core, a possible remnant from the moon’s formation. An underground ocean is also possible, such as the one inside another Saturnian moon.
A few flybys with Cassini, the spacecraft that took the pictures, could let scientists map the moon’s gravity and unearth what Mimas is hiding.
Question1.- What do you think would happen if researchers could understand how Saturn’s diverse entourage of icy satellites formed?
Question2.- Why would an ocean affect this moon?
I think if researchers could understand more how Saturn's diverse entourage of icy satellites formed, we could be more advance in our researches and maybe to find new rocks or new moons made of the same materials as this moon made of ice. I think the ocean might affect the moon because Saturn is not the closest planet to the Sun so maybe the water in the moon might freeze when it goes out.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting post and I think that if researches could understand how did ice reach Saturn it would be a really interesting answer. Kim's point has a lot of sense and I agree with her because is there is an ocean because of the cold it could freeze and become an icy satellite.
ReplyDeleteSorry, when I first attempted to post this comment I guess it did not go through. I am now posting it again.
ReplyDeleteI think that if scientists could find the source and past of the entourage of icy crystals we would be able to learn more about the universe and the vast possibilities for a basis on how the Earth was formed as well.
An ocean would affect this moon as this ocean could hold the key for life off Earth. First, there could be life brewing on this moon and eventually there could be more than just humans in our solar system. Also, there is a possibility that in the future humans could colonize cet. moon and begin to expand the human empire. Another way it could affect the moon specifically is that is could eventually lead to having a frozen solid moon.