Our Solar System is looking wetter

"The solar system is now looking like a pretty soggy place" NASA's director of planetary science stated at a recent press conference. The Hubble Space Telescope has helped scientists confirm the existence of a subterranean salt water ocean underneath the surface of Ganymede, a moon of Jupiter. Ganymede is the largest known moon in our solar system and is expected to have a ocean around 10 times deeper than Earth's.  Unfortunately, these oceans are covered by very thick layers of ice which make it hard for NASA to send a probe to analyze for life.

However, NASA has also confirmed subterranean oceans inside Enceladus, a moon of Saturn. As NASA's Cassini spacecraft approached Enceladus, it encountered very very small dust particles that appeared to emanate from plumes on the moon's surface. These particles contained some of the basic organic molecules necessary for life. After further study, scientists discovered that Enceladus emits heat from its core most likely from the result of massive tidal forces caused by Saturn.

LIQUID WATER + HEAT + ORGANIC MOLECULES = HIGH POTENTIAL FOR LIFE

The great part about Enceladus is its plumes. Instead of drilling down into its icy, thick surface, NASA can send a probe to analyze the plumes that have broken through the exterior. By flying through them, NASA can search for signs of life through a much more practical approach.

These, of course, are not the only two moons that NASA believes host subterranean oceans. There are more. With continued increases in funding, we could see a mission to Enceladus relatively soon.

Lights on Ceres

A few days ago, the Dawn spacecraft photographed 2 bright white lights emitting from the surface of Ceres. Ceres is a dwarf planet located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The spots are approximately 57 miles wide and are currently unexplainable to astronomers. The first spot is larger and brighter while the other spot is slightly smaller and dimmer. Best estimates source the lights to salt conglomerates or possibly even ice.

Scientists have sent Dawn into a closer orbit around Ceres in order to get more detailed information and images on the lights. Currently, the space craft is on the dark side of Ceres, and won't return to the light until April. However, once it returns in April, Dawn will have a much better understanding of what these mysterious reflections are.

There is, of course, a large portion of the public who believe the lights are signals from someone else. As unlikely as this sounds, it is an interesting proposition. What are the protocols for something like this? Should we just approach it? These are questions we will answer as Dawn gets closer.