Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

Smashed Icy Moons Cool Too Rapidly to Retain Oceans

universetoday.com · 1hShare

There are more than 450 confirmed moons orbiting the eight major planets, but only a handful of them provide unique scientific value to pique the interests of the scientific community, specifically their potential for hosting life as we know it. This is due to the subsurface oceans that exist beneath icy crusts, including Jupiter’s Europa and Ganymede, and Saturn’s Enceladus. But what processes are responsible for producing these subsurface oceans, or potentially preventing them from forming in the first place?

First report: Scientists simulate cosmic crashes to test whether icy moons gain or lose their ability to sustain life — phys.org, 2d