Scientists have foundpelling evidence that the Death Star moon is hiding an ocean just beneath its surface, furthering the search for possible life in our solar system.
The first clue that it could be a battle station was revealed by the resemblance of its nickname to Star Wars.
The new research suggests that the wobble could be the result of a liquid ocean trapped under the moon. The researchers say the moon is a new type of world if this is the case. The discovery of the tiny moon's secret ocean could mean that water, and the possibility of life, could be more abundant in our solar system than first thought.
Meet Mimas: the Death Star Moon.
If Mimas has an ocean, it represents a new class of ocean worlds with surfaces that don't betray the ocean's existence, according to a study by first author.
The IWOWs, such as Jupiter's Europa and Enceladus, are not new to scientists, but inner tidal processes tend to fracture their surfaces and they show other signs of geological activity. Rhoden said that Mimas looked at it like a frozen block of ice.
The definition of a potentially habitable world in our solar system and beyond has been greatly expanded by our new understanding.
The researchers built a model to see if a hidden ocean could keep the water below the surface.
Rhoden said that most of the time when they create models, they have to fine-tune them to produce what they see.
Rhoden said that the findings make Mimas a "compelling target" for further investigation. By studying the moon's ability to support an ocean, scientists could glean a better understanding of other potential hidden ocean moons tucked farther out in our solar system.
It was originally published on Live Science.
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