New observations by the James Webb Space Telescope suggest that an icy moon around Uranus may have an underground liquid ocean.
Ariel is one of 27 moons around Uranus, the seventh planet from the sun and the third largest planet in the solar system.
Ariel is named after a character in William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” while Titania and Oberon are from his “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”.
Carbon dioxide ice is thought to be unlikely at Uranus because at that distance from the sun—20 times farther than Earth—it turns to gas.
Forbes Ocean Found On 'Death Star' Moon Boosts Chance Of Extraterrestrial Life, Say Scientists.
Another theory is that the carbon dioxide ice at Ariel is produced by molecules being broken down by radiation in Uranus’ magnetic field.
The Uranus Orbiter and Probe (UOP) is a concept for a mission to tour the Uranus system. »
