Vast ocean hidden beneath a layer of ice on the Saturn's moon

Scientists have uncovered the existence of an ocean below the surface of the ice on Enceladus, a moon of the planet Saturn. The ocean is found through analysis of data taken by the Cassini spacecraft, a vehicle belonging to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) which orbits on the Saturn system since 17 years ago.

Encladus, one of the Saturns moons. (Picture from: http://sains.kompas.com/)

The ocean is quite extensive. When compared with the Earth, the ocean region stretching from the South Pole to New Zealand. It is estimated, the ocean stretching to almost all regions of Enceladus. However, it is unknown whether the oceans are actually contained water like Earth's northern pole region.

NASA's Cassini spacecraft.
(Picture from: http://airandspace.si.edu/)

Luciano Less, the head of the research team from Sapienza University, Rome, said the ocean was 40 km under the ice. Essentially a rock.

Jonathan Lunine, a planetary expert from Cornell University, reveals that this invention makes Enceladus as "potentially a very interesting place to look for the presence of living beings."

David Stevenson, a member of the research team and expert astronomy from the California Institute of Technology, said more research was interesting and showed efficacy Cassini.

"It's not like the map the surface of the Earth or the Moon. Did not like it.'s More rugged. And, amazing that we can do the best we can do," Stevenson said as quoted by AP, on Thursday, April 3, 2014.

Ocean beneath the icy surface of Enceladus is not only contained in the. Titan, another moon of Saturn, like Jupiter's moon Europa and also has an ocean beneath the ice. Research results published in the journal Science. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | AP]

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