The past few weeks have been full of announcements on discoveries within our solar system. Here are some of the highlights:
- Subsurface Lake on Enceladus: NASA's Cassini probe has identified a reservoir of water on Saturn's moon (shown above in comparison to our own Moon) that is 19 to 25 miles thick, or equivalent to the water in one of the Great Lakes (I have read comparisons to either Lake Erie or Lake Superior). What does this mean? NASA stated: "The subsurface ocean evidence supports the inclusion of Enceladus among
the most likely places in our solar system to host microbial life." Interesting indeed.
- An Asteroid with Rings: Rings were found around an asteroid named Chariklo,
which orbits in the outer solar system between Saturn and Uranus. Chariklo is one of the larger objects in that region being about 155 miles
across. This is the first non-planetary body in our solar system we have identified with its own rings.
- New Icy Object Beyond the Kuiper Belt: Astronomers have spotted a new object now labeled 2012VP113 (not very dramatic) that orbits outside the Kuiper Belt, which contains Pluto. We already know that dwarf planet Sedna is out in those reaches. This raises some interesting questions. The Sydney Morning Herald reports this could indicate something is pulling these ice objects out that far, such as undiscovered giant planet or maybe a passing star from long ago.
