Water on Uranus’ Moons?

Produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute’s Office of Public Outreach in collaboration with NASA’s Universe of Learning partners: Caltech/IPAC, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

 

Video imagery:

·       Labeled JWST image of Uranus and moons: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

·        Voyager 2 image of the moon Titania: NASA/JPL

·       Voyager 2 image of the moon Oberon: NASA/JPL

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Image collage of objects and planets in space. 

 

Text, News from the Universe. 

 

An image of Uranus and its rings and surrounding moons labeled Ariel, Puck, Miranda, Umbriel, Oberon and Titania from May 12, 2023 taken by the James Webb Space Telescope. Text, Water on Uranus' Moons? 

 

Uranus' four largest moons likely contain deep ocean layers beneath their icy surfaces, according to a new study. 

 

Image of Titania from Voyager 2 on May 12, 2023. Text, The new findings contradict the idea that smaller moons could not retain enough heat to keep their oceans from freezing. 

 

Scientists re-analyzed data from multiple missions, including Voyager 2 which visited Uranus, plus Galileo, Cassini, and New Horizons, which visited similar small icy worlds. 

 

The large moons Titania and Oberon may get heat from hot liquid released in their rocky interiors. 

 

Image of Oberon from Voyager 2 on May 12, 2023. Text, Another possibility is that the subsurface oceans could be full of natural antifreeze chemicals like ammonia and salts. 

 

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The study will help scientists plan future missions to the Uranus system, which has been named a science priority by the U.S. National Academies. 

 

This news was brought to you in part by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.