NASA has announced that four of Uranus’ largest moons are likely to contain an ocean layer of water between their core and icy crust. The study is the first to detail the evolution of the interior makeup and structure of all five large moons – Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, Oberon and Miranda. The discovery was made after re-examining data originally gathered from Voyager spacecraft that gathered detailed information on Uranus during two flybys in the 1980s. Using that data along with traditional telescope observations on Earth, NASA scientists built computer models of the planet infused with additional findings from NASA’s Galileo, Cassini, Dawn, and New Horizons. The researchers also added insights into the chemistry and the geology of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, Pluto and its moon Charon, and Ceres. Those planets are also icy bodies around the same size as the Uranian moons. NASA has been investigating possible water on other moons. In 2005, scientists saw what they believe were watery plumes erupting from the surface of Saturn’s moon Enceladus. The space agency plans on launching the Europa Clipper spacecraft next year which will examine the possibility of water plumes and an ice-covered ocean world with possible plumes on Jupiter’s moon of Europa.
