TOPICS:AstrobiologyAstronomyAstrophysicsEnceladusMoonsPopularSaturnSouthwest Research Institute

By SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE MARCH 20, 2021

Worlds With Underground Oceans – Like Europa, Titan, and Enceladus – May Be More Conducive to Supporting Life Than Earth

Interior water ocean worlds like Saturn’s moon, Enceladus, are prevalent throughout the universe. New research from Southwest Research Institute suggests that layers of rock and ice may shield life within such oceans, protecting it from impacts, radiation and other hazards and concealing it from detection. Layers of rock and ice may therefore shield and protect life residing in them, and also sequester them from threats and detection. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Southwest Research Institute

Layers of ice and rock obviate the need for “habitable zone” and shield life against threats.

SwRI researcher theorizes worlds with underground oceans may be more conducive to life than worlds with surface oceans like Earth.

One of the most profound discoveries in…