Large sea found deep under ice on Saturn moon

Published time: April 03, 2014 23:38

A joint NASA-European spacecraft has uncovered a sea deep under the icy surface of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, scientists announced Thursday.

Italian and American researchers said the discovery was made possible with the use of Cassini, a space probe exploring Saturn and its rings 17 years after its launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The body of water is centered at the southern pole of Enceladus, AP reported. The sea is at least as big as North America’s Lake Superior, and may encompass nearly the entire surface of Enceladus, which is about 499 km (310 miles) across.

Yet researchers said the data does not show whether the sea extends to the moon’s north pole.

At the very least, the body of water is a regional sea about 40 km (25 miles) deep, found above a rocky core and under kilometers-thick ice that sits on the moon’s surface.

Cassini’s basic capabilities mean it cannot verify whether any life exists in the water. Nevertheless, researchers say the water holds promise for new life-form discoveries.

The ocean on Enceladus is "a very attractive potential place to look for life," said Cornell University planetary scientist Jonathan Lunine, a researcher with the project.

FULL STORY: http://rt.com/news/saturn-moon-ocean-water-225/