Uranus and Neptune are called ice giants, because of their icy cores. But each of these frosty planets may be hiding a deep ocean.
Astronomer Burkhard Militzer published his research in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on November 25. He used a computer simulation to model the two planets. The models revealed a surprise: Uranus and Neptune each seem to have a layer of water beneath the clouds in their outer atmosphere. These oceans could be 5,000 miles deep.
A NASA mission to Uranus could confirm the presence of the planet’s ocean. The mission isn’t yet set. But on its website, NASA says such a mission may be “a focus of planetary science” in the coming years.
More from Science
Share a Link
- Click the icon above to copy the url link to your clipboard.
- Paste the link into the location in which you share assignments with students. Examples might include, but are not limited to Canvas, Schoology and Edmodo.
Google Classroom
- Click on the icon above to share the article with a class in your Google Classroom.
- Choose an action. Options might include creating an assignment or asking a question.
