Because Mimas is losing heat as its orbit becomes less eccentric over time, refreezing — which is only just beginning on Mimas — will cause the overlying ice to crack.

A new study of Saturn's 'Death Star' moon Mimas finds evidence of a young, underground ocean that may be hospitable to early forms of life.

With Mimas now in a relatively calm orbit, it may not currently experience enough tidal interactions to sustain its ocean.

An artist's illustration depicts Mimas in orbit around Saturn. The small moon resembles the Death Star from "Star Wars" films, thanks to a massive crater.

Saturn’s moon Mimas appears to have a vast global ocean underneath its icy shell, according to close measurements of its orbit. If other icy worlds have similar oceans, it could increase the ...

Because Mimas is losing heat as its orbit becomes less eccentric over time, refreezing — which is only just beginning on Mimas — will cause the overlying ice to crack.

But an alternative is that Mimas' rocky core is oddly shaped, creating an opportunity for the gravitational pull of Saturn and the other moons to torque it somewhat differently each orbit.

Hidden depths Slight changes in the orbit of Saturn’s moon Mimas hint at the presence of a vast, young ocean beneath the satellite’s icy surface that may have formed between 5 million and 50 ...

Saturn's moon Mimas harbors a global ocean beneath its icy shell, discovered through analysis of its orbit by Cassini spacecraft data. This ocean formed just 5-15 million years ago, making Mimas a ...