Earth Europa Ganymede Callisto Enceladus Titan

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Earth Europa Ganymede Callisto Enceladus Titan

SIZE COMP ARISON SIZE COMP ARISON SIZE COMP ARISON 1 AU 5.2 AU 9.5 AU DIST A NCE FR OM SUN DIST A NCE FR OM SUN DIST A NCE FR OM SUN ACTIVE LOCKED ACTIVE Dynamic ocean, Trapped ocean, Dynamic ocean, known to support life unlikely to support life could support life OCEAN OCEA N WOR LD STATUS OCEA N WOR LD STATUS OCEA N WOR LD STATUS WORLDS TERRESTRIAL PLANET MOON OF JUPITER MOON OF JUPITER MOON OF JUPITER MOON OF SATURN MOON OF SATURN Earth isn’t the only ocean world in our solar system. EAR T H EUROPA GANYMEDE CALLISTO ENCELADUS TITAN Our home planet, Earth, is the Scientists strongly suspect that a Ganymede is the largest moon in our solar Callisto’s cratered surface lies at Scientists predict that a regional reservoir about Titan is believed to have a salty subsurface Oceans could exist in diverse forms on moons and only body known to have life. subsurface salty ocean lies beneath system, and the only moon with its own the top of an ice layer, which is 6 miles (10 km) deep lies under a shell of ice 20 ocean—as salty as the Dead Sea on dwarf planets, offering clues in the quest to discover Called the “ocean planet”, Earth’s Europa’s icy crust. Tidal heating from its magnetic field. Recent studies indicate a estimated to be about 60 miles to 25 miles (30 to 40 km) thick at Enceladus’ Earth—beginning about 30 miles (50 km) below life beyond our home planet. surface land-to-water ratio is 29% parent planet, Jupiter, maintains this large, underground saltwater ocean is (100 km) thick. An ocean, which is south pole. This underground ocean is thought its ice shell. It is also possible that Titan’s land to 71% water. ocean’s liquid state and could also present at the Jovian moon. Ganymede could thought to be at least 6 miles (10 to feed the moon’s impressive jets, which spray ocean is thin and sandwiched between layers create partially melted pockets, or lakes, in fact have several layers of ice and water km) deep, could be directly from deep fissures (called “tiger stripes”) in the of ice, or is thick and extends all the way down The worlds shown here represent the best known throughout the moon’s outer shell. sandwiched between its crust and core. beneath the ice. moon’s surface. to the moon’s rocky interior. candidates in our search for life in the solar system—because where there is water, there is the potential for life. As you dive in, take note of each body’s ocean world status and its potential to sustain life as we know it. SIZE COMP ARISON SIZE COMP ARISON SIZE COMP ARISON 5.2 AU 5.2 AU 9.5 AU DIST A NCE FR OM SUN DIST A NCE FR OM SUN DIST A NCE FR OM SUN ACTIVE? LOCKED LOCKED? Possibly a dynamic ocean, Trapped ocean, May have a trapped ocean, could support life unlikely to support life unlikely to support life if ocean is trapped OCEA N WOR LD STATUS OCEA N WOR LD STATUS OCEA N WOR LD STATUS.

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