Scientists confirm there is an ocean of water in Jupiter's moon Ganymede.

This makes some people first think of life.



It makes others first think of fuel. :D





http://ift.tt/1F7JItV



Big too:

Quote:

Scientists estimate the ocean is 60 miles (100 km) thick, 10 times deeper than Earth's oceans, and is buried under a 95-mile (150-km) crust of mostly ice.

Neat how they "confirmed" it:

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As Jupiter rotates, its magnetic field shifts, causing Ganymede's aurora to rock. Scientists measured the motion and found it fell short. Using computer models, they realized that a salty, electrically conductive ocean beneath the moon's surface was counteracting Jupiter's magnetic pull. Scientists ran more than 100 computer models to see if anything else could be having an impact on Ganymede's aurora. They also repeated the seven-hour, ultraviolet Hubble observations and analyzed data for both belts of aurora. "This gives us confidence in the measurement," Saur said. NASA Planetary Science Division Director Jim Green called the finding "an astounding demonstration." "They developed new approach to look inside a planetary body with a telescope," Green said.

And the list grows:

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Ganymede joins a growing list of moons in the outer solar system with subsurface water. On Wednesday, scientists reported that Saturn's moon Enceladus has hot springs beneath its icy crust. Other water-rich worlds include Jupiter moons Europa and Callisto.

via International Skeptics Forum http://ift.tt/1AtQjIW