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Astronomers believe Mimas, the smallest of the major moons of Saturn, known as the “big seven” or the “inner moons”.
It may have a liquid ocean around 20-30 km under its heavily cratered ice shell.
Nicknamed “Death Star” for the resemblance of its cratered surface to a space station in theStar Warsfranchise.
Mimas was an unlikely candidate to host an ocean because the presence of these water bodies is generally marked by modifications of the surface by internal dynamics.
In a study published in the Nature journal on February 7, 2024, scientists analysed Mimas’s orbital motion based on data from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft and determined that the moon’s librations — or oscillations — indicate it either has an elongated silicate core or a global ocean.
What is Mimas?
Mimas is the smallest and innermost major moon of Saturn.
It is also known as Saturn I.
Discovered in 1789 by William Herschel, Mimas is a fascinating celestial body with a unique appearance.
Mimas is roughly 396 kilometers in diameter, making it significantly smaller than Earth's moon.
Despite its small size, Mimas is nearly spherical due to its own gravity.
The surface of Mimas is heavily cratered, with the most prominent feature being the Herschel crater, a giant impact crater that spans nearly one-third of the moon's diameter.
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