Recently, we posted about two possible water worlds orbiting around Kepler-62. While just slightly drier than these potential distant water worlds, so far, our planet is the only one we know of with a stable ocean. This is not to say that our solar system is not soggy. It appears that our solar system is veritably awash in water. Here are six planets or moons, other than the Earth, which scientists believe have liquid water or entire oceans.
- We have previously posted about the dwarf planet Ceres, which may contain more freshwater than Earth.
- Likewise, scientists now believe that Jupiter’s largest moon, Ganymede, has an underground ocean that also may contain more water than Earth’s.
- Also, NASA confirmed that liquid water flows intermittently on present-day Mars.
- Recently, scientists have concluded that a subsurface ocean may explain the planet Pluto’s odd orbit.
- New research using data from NASA’s Cassini mission suggests that a global ocean lies beneath the icy crust of Saturn’s geologically active moon Enceladus.
- Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, is also thought to have subsurface liquid water. Scientists hypothesize that Europa’s hidden ocean is salty, tidal, and causes its ice surface to move, resulting in large fractures which are clearly visible in the above image. Although Europa is thought to have the ingredients needed to support life — water, energy, organic compounds — it lies outside of our solar system’s habitable zone.
Scientists Discover More Evidence of Liquid Subsurface Ocean on Pluto