– Astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope to observe the moon Ariel orbiting Uranus.
– They found evidence that Ariel could have a buried subsurface ocean hidden underneath its surface ice.
– Ariel’s surface is covered in carbon dioxide ice, which is puzzling since carbon dioxide should evaporate at Ariel’s distance from the sun.
– The new data from JWST showed Ariel has some of the highest amounts of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide among solar system bodies.
– This suggests the carbon dioxide and monoxide are being actively replenished from the interior, possibly from a subsurface ocean trapped under ice.
– As the chemicals interact with liquid water in the hypothesized ocean, they could escape through cracks in the icy shell or cryovolcanic plumes.
– This could explain the greater abundance of these compounds on the side of Ariel facing away from Uranus, where most cracks and features are located.
– The findings provide more evidence that some of Uranus’ moons could harbor subsurface oceans and are potential ocean worlds.
– A future dedicated mission to the Uranian system could help confirm these results and learn more about ice giant planets and other ocean-bearing moons.
Source: Space
