NASA to Hunt for Hidden Oceans on Uranus’ Icy Moons

NASA plans to send a spacecraft to Uranus, equipped with cameras to detect liquid water oceans beneath its icy moons. Researchers at the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics have developed a computer model that can analyze small oscillations in the way a moon spins to calculate the presence of water, ice, and rock inside. The model, combined with gravity data, can compute the ocean’s depth and thickness of overlying ice.

The research is crucial in the search for life beyond Earth, as liquid water is a key ingredient. Uranus’s moons are thought to be made of equal parts rock and ice, and detecting oceans beneath their surfaces could mean vast numbers of potentially life-harboring worlds throughout the galaxy. Doug Hemingway, a planetary scientist at UTIG, developed the model published in Geophysical Research Letters.

The technique has been used previously to confirm that Saturn’s moon, Enceladus, has an interior global ocean. NASA’s Europa Clipper mission, which recently launched, carries an ice-penetrating radar imager developed by UTIG. The next step is to extend the model to include measurements by other instruments to improve the picture of the moons’ interiors.

Unveiling the Secrets of Uranus’ Moons: A Quest for Hidden Oceans

NASA’s next major mission to the outer solar system will target the ice giant planet Uranus, with its system of icy moons. As researchers prepare for this endeavor, a team at the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) has developed a new computer model that could detect liquid water oceans beneath the ice using just the spacecraft’s cameras.

The Importance of Ocean Detection

Scientists are eager to determine if Uranus’ moons harbor liquid water oceans because it is a key ingredient for life. The detection method employed by UTIG researchers involves analyzing small oscillations, or wobbles, in the way a moon spins as it orbits its parent planet. By combining this data with gravity measurements, the model can calculate the ocean’s depth and the thickness of the overlying ice.

The Wobble Method: A Key to Unlocking Hidden Oceans

The UTIG research, published in Geophysical Research Letters, demonstrates that even slight wobbles in a moon’s rotation can indicate an interior ocean. Moons with liquid water oceans will exhibit more pronounced wobbles than those that are solid all the way through. Although the wobbles may be small, passing spacecraft can still detect them.

Applications and Implications

The UTIG-developed computer model has significant implications for the search for life beyond Earth. If Uranus’ moons are found to have interior oceans, it could mean that there are vast numbers of potentially life-harboring worlds throughout the galaxy. The research will also aid mission scientists and engineers improve their chances of detecting oceans.

Extending the Model: A Path Forward

Researchers’ next step is to extend the model to include measurements by other instruments, such as gravity data and radar imaging. This will provide a more comprehensive picture of the moons’ interiors. The UTIG team’s work has paved the way for future research, which could ultimately lead to a deeper understanding of the Uranus system and its potential for supporting life.

The Broader Context: NASA’s Europa Clipper Mission

The UTIG research is part of a larger effort to explore the outer solar system. NASA’s recently launched Europa Clipper mission, which carries an ice-penetrating radar imager developed by UTIG, will investigate Jupiter’s moon Europa for signs of life. The success of these missions could have far-reaching implications for our understanding of the universe and its potential for supporting life.