The Case for Uranus’ Moons

In a groundbreaking reanalysis conducted in 2022, a team led by NASA's Julie Castillo-Rogez examined data from five of Uranus’ largest moons: Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, Oberon, and Miranda. By integrating early observations from the Voyager 2 spacecraft with advanced computer modeling that includes factors such as the moons' sizes and densities, scientists determined that four of these moons might just have significant internal oceans nestled beneath their icy surfaces.

What Can We Discover?

As the scientific community's interest in Uranus unveils new insights, future missions would focus on understanding the internal thermal conditions of these moons. Notably, for any life to thrive, internal temperatures would need to exceed a bleak minus 20 degrees Celsius—far warmer than the bone-chilling conditions observed on the surface, which hover around -213 degrees Celsius.

A Mission to Unlock the Secrets

The potential for direct exploration of Uranus’ moons is generating excitement. With the U.S. National Academies of Sciences regularly polling planetary scientists for mission priorities, there’s a robust call for a focused endeavor to unveil Uranus' mysteries. Such a mission could not only assess current conditions on these moons but also provide deeper insight into the origins and diversity of ocean worlds throughout our solar system.