Podcaster: Beth Johnson, Franck Marchis, and Simon Steel (alternate hosts); Guest: Dr. Valéry Lainey
Title: SETI Live – The Mysterious Ocean of Saturn’s Moon, Mimas
Organization: SETI Institute
Link: https://sites.libsyn.com/462636
Description:
Recorded 8 February 2024.
Join us for an exciting SETI Live where we’ll explore the wonders beyond Earth. We’re excited to have Dr. Valéry Lainey, a renowned researcher from the Paris Observatory in France, as our guest. Dr. Franck Marchis, our Senior Astronomer, will be guiding the conversation, sharing insights from the universe. It’s set to be an engaging event, and we hope you’ll be part of it!
In a groundbreaking study published in Nature Journal, Valery Lainey and his team have unveiled a remarkable discovery about Saturn’s moon Mimas. Once thought to be a cold, solid body of ice and rock, Mimas now appears to harbor a vast global ocean beneath its icy crust. This revelation comes after a meticulous analysis of Mimas’s orbit, as observed by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, which showed unexpected wobbles that suggest the presence of an under-ice ocean.
For years, the scientific community was skeptical about the possibility of an ocean within Mimas, mainly because the expected surface deformations were absent. However, Lainey’s research, based on recent simulations and precise orbital measurements, suggests that an ocean could exist without leaving visible marks on the moon’s surface. This finding not only reshapes our understanding of Mimas but also opens new avenues in the search for habitable environments beyond Earth.
Bio: Beth Johnson is a communications specialist and social media manager with a degree in physics and master’s work in planetary science. She specializes in meteor showers, icy moons, and anything with volcanoes.
Franck Marchis is a senior planetary astronomer and chair of the exoplanet group at the Carl Sagan Center of the SETI Institute and Chief Scientific Officer and Founder at Unistellar. He has dedicated his work to the study of our solar system, specifically the search for asteroids with moons, using mainly ground-based telescopes equipped with adaptive optics.
Simon Steel is Deputy Director of the Carl Sagan Center for Research at the SETI Institute. As an observational astrophysicist, he specialized in optical spectrophotometry, with an interest in the star formation histories of galaxies.
Dr. Valéry Lainey, a renowned researcher from the Paris Observatory in France
Today’s sponsor: Big thanks to our Patreon supporters this month: Paul M. Sutter, Chris Nealen, Frank Frankovic, Frank Tippin, Jako Danar, Michael Freedman, Nik Whitehead, Rani Bush, Ron Diehl, Steven Emert, Brett Duane, Don Swartwout, Vladimir Bogdanov, Steven Kluth, Steve Nerlich, Phyllis Foster, Michael W, James K Wood, Katrina Ince, Cherry Wood.
Please consider sponsoring a day or two. Just click on the “Donate” button on the lower left side of this webpage, or contact us at signup@365daysofastronomy.org.
Please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy
or you can consider to sponsor a day of our podcast : https://cosmoquest.org/x/365daysofastronomy/product/sponsor-an-episode-of-365-days-of-astronomy/
365 Days of Astronomy
=====================
The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by Planetary Science Institute. Audio post-production by Richard Drumm. Bandwidth donated by libsyn.com and wizzard media. You may reproduce and distribute this audio for non-commercial purposes.
This show is made possible thanks to the generous donations of people like you! Please consider supporting to our show on Patreon.com/365DaysofAstronomy and get access to bonus content.
After 10 years, the 365 Days of Astronomy podcast is entering its second decade of sharing important milestone in space exploration and astronomy discoveries. Join us and share your story. Until tomorrow! Goodbye!