Alarming evidence that another world in the solar system is hiding an ocean

UranusUranusIt is the third largest planet in our solar system. Astronomy scientistsAstronomy scientists It has 28 known moons. Among the most important of them are: ArielAriel. The one with the brightest surface. It was discovered in 1851. Today, researchers from Johns Hopkins University (USA) hypothesize that it could hide a liquid ocean underground.

To understand this, it is good to remember that one of Ariel's peculiarities is that she is covered in a large amount of ice. Carbon DioxideCarbon Dioxidethe famous company₂Especially on the side opposite to its orbital motion. This is amazing because even at Ariel's distance from our Sun, carbon dioxide₂ It must appear in gaseous form and escape into space. So some have suggested that interactions with charged particles in Uranus' magnetosphere could produce carbon dioxide.₂ By radiological analysis.

Carbon dioxide reveals ocean on Ariel

in Astrophysical Journal LettersResearchers at Johns Hopkins University now believe that the carbon dioxide on Ariel is coming from the interior instead. Perhaps from the ocean. liquidliquid Hidden beneath the surface. The team had already been exploring the idea in earnest a few months ago, based on data returned from the Voyager 2 probe, but this time, the data was sent back by James Webb Space TelescopeJames Webb Space Telescope (JWST) which convinced astronomers a little more.

By collecting SpectraSpectra By comparing chemical samples from Ariel with laboratory spectra, researchers have shown for the first time that Uranus' moon contains some of the richest deposits of carbon dioxide.₂ For our solar system – sometimes up to 10 mm thick “posterior hemisphere”Astronomers also recorded the first clear signals of planet Earth on Ariel. Carbon MonoxideCarbon Monoxide (Carbon Monoxide). “It shouldn’t be here.” You have to get down to about -243 degrees Celsius for carbon monoxide to be stable.“Richard Cartwright explains, physicalphysical At Johns Hopkins University, in A I reportedHowever, Ariel's surface temperature is about 30 degrees Celsius higher on average. “If there is carbon dioxide, it will be actively replenished, there is no doubt about that.”

The researchers acknowledge that in theory, radioactivity could also be a source of carbon monoxide. But models now estimate that a shift of about 58 degrees between the axis of the circle magnetic fieldmagnetic field Uranus and Ariel's orbital plane limit this type of interaction. On the other hand, both CO₂ Carbon dioxide can come from chemical processes that occur in an ocean of groundwater that GasGas He will escape through cracks in the ice.

Mission to Uranus?

Other data that support the existence of this hidden ocean include: signs MineralsMinerals Carbonates on the surface of Ariel. They could be the result of groundwater interacting with rocks. If confirmed, these signs would indicate the presence of an ocean hidden underground. ShellShell Frozen by Ariel.

Researchers are now eagerly awaiting a dedicated mission to observe Uranus. The planetary science community is now prioritizing it. This should be a chance to get a closer look at Ariel's surface than the 35% that has already been captured. Voyager 2Voyager 2. To understand, for example, if CO₂ It escapes from the grooves that astronomers observe on the surface of the moon. The grooves are found mainly in the back half of the moon's hemisphere.