Pluto has an ocean hiding under the surface, new data suggests

The title says it all. Scientists now think there's a sub surface ocean on Pluto based on measurements taken by the New Horizons probe. If true this brings the number of planets and Moons within our own solar system with an ocean to 4 including: Earth, Saturn’s Enceladus, Jupiter’s Europa, and even Mars. There are other candidates for sub surface oceans such as Ganymede, etc. The interesting thing according to the article, is that every planet except Earth has a sub-surface ocean. Well, there are theories that Earth also has a sub-surface ocean but that's a whole other avenue to explore.

“All we can say is that we think that Pluto has an ocean and we think that this ocean has survived to the present day,” McKinnon said. “You certainly couldn’t rule [life] out, but anything about life on Pluto is simply speculation.” Since flying by Pluto last year, New Horizons has continued to send information back to Earth and will continue to do so throughout 2016.

Sub surdface ocean on Pluto? Interesting.......! This furthers the notion in my mind that if we are to find life outside of Earth in thhis Solar system that we need to look underground on foreign worlds. What say you, ATS?

www.technobuffalo.com...

Interesting , I remember when scientists used to say water was likely scarce in the Galaxy but it seems on the evidence available it's water water everywhere , I doubt our Solar System is unique.

I wonder what's the heat source keeping the subsurface water liquid.

Excellant read, thanks for sharing .

My first thought process was

If there’s water, does that mean there’s the potential for life? According to planetary scientist William McKinnon, there’s always the possibility though it’s unlikely.

Although unlikely, there's always a chance. .

originally posted by: gortex
Interesting , I remember when scientists used to say water was likely scarce in the Galaxy but it seems on the evidence available it's water water everywhere...

Water is quite common. Liquid water, however, is not.

a reply to: AdmireTheDistance

As pointed out in the OP there are several Moons in our solar system that host liquid water , I think that makes it quite common in our Solar System , there may still be liquid water out there for us to find , perhaps beneath the surface of Mars.

Isn't it amazing how far our knowledge of our neighbourhood has come since the Voyagers? Just incredible.

originally posted by: gortex
a reply to: AdmireTheDistance

As pointed out in the OP there are several Moons in our solar system that host liquid water , I think that makes it quite common in our Solar System , there may still be liquid water out there for us to find , perhaps beneath the surface of Mars.

They also just found a clump of frozen water trillions of times the volume of that found on earth somewhere in the universe. Can't remember where..

originally posted by: gortex
Interesting , I remember when scientists used to say water was likely scarce in the Galaxy but it seems on the evidence available it's water water everywhere , I doubt our Solar System is unique.

I wonder what's the heat source keeping the subsurface water liquid.

Probably gravitational pressure. The frozen ice at the surface would act as a insulator. Then the pressure of all those tonnes of ice at the surface would compress the lower layers due to gravitational attraction of the whole planet. There would also be chemical impurities like salt that lower the freezing point. Radioactive decay could generate some heat.

I once tried freezing a 2 liter bottle of water while in Canadian temperatures of -37C of several days. Despite the outer two inches freezing, the inner core remained liquid.

we think that Pluto has an ocean

I hate to be a spoil sport(no I dont) but an ocean of what ? A liquid doesnt necessarily imply H2O . And the article does state methane snow.

originally posted by: Gothmog

we think that Pluto has an ocean

I hate to be a spoil sport(no I dont) but an ocean of what ? A liquid doesnt necessarily imply H2O . And the article does state methane snow.

From the article:

Now, research published on Thursday suggests there’s liquid water hiding beneath the planet’s frozen surface.

Emphasis mine.

originally posted by: lostbook
The interesting thing according to the article, is that every planet except Earth has a sub-surface ocean.

I think you misinterpreted the phrase that "only Earth wears its ocean on the outside". Mercury certainly cannot have a subsurface ocean, in fact I'm sure none of the rocky planets have. It's hard to imagine Jupiter, Saturn, and other giant planets having a subsurface ocean (they don't really have a surface as such anyway).

A subsurface ocean is most logically ascribed to icy worlds, like the aforementioned moons, and distant bodies like Pluto.

originally posted by: AdmireTheDistance

originally posted by: Gothmog

we think that Pluto has an ocean

I hate to be a spoil sport(no I dont) but an ocean of what ? A liquid doesnt necessarily imply H2O . And the article does state methane snow.

From the article:

Now, research published on Thursday suggests there’s liquid water hiding beneath the planet’s frozen surface.

Emphasis mine.

You do know that was the author of the article and not from the original quote , yes? I did not see water mentioned. Only an ocean....the author interjected "water"

a reply to: Gothmog

A number of scientists see some surface features being suggestive of a water/brine ocean. Others don't think an ocean is required.

www.smithsonianmag.com...

originally posted by: wildespace

originally posted by: lostbook
The interesting thing according to the article, is that every planet except Earth has a sub-surface ocean.

I think you misinterpreted the phrase that "only Earth wears its ocean on the outside". Mercury certainly cannot have a subsurface ocean, in fact I'm sure none of the rocky planets have. It's hard to imagine Jupiter, Saturn, and other giant planets having a subsurface ocean (they don't really have a surface as such anyway).

A subsurface ocean is most logically ascribed to icy worlds, like the aforementioned moons, and distant bodies like Pluto.

My mistake. What I meant to point out was that of the candidate planets WITH oceans, Earth is the only one which has an ocean on the surface. However, Earth does have underground rivers so I think it's possible that Earth has a sub-surface ocean as well as the above surface ocean. But what do I know? I'm no scientist.........

originally posted by: lostbook

originally posted by: wildespace

originally posted by: lostbook
The interesting thing according to the article, is that every planet except Earth has a sub-surface ocean.

I think you misinterpreted the phrase that "only Earth wears its ocean on the outside". Mercury certainly cannot have a subsurface ocean, in fact I'm sure none of the rocky planets have. It's hard to imagine Jupiter, Saturn, and other giant planets having a subsurface ocean (they don't really have a surface as such anyway).

A subsurface ocean is most logically ascribed to icy worlds, like the aforementioned moons, and distant bodies like Pluto.

My mistake. What I meant to point out was that of the candidate planets WITH oceans, Earth is the only one which has an ocean on the surface. However, Earth does have underground rivers so I think it's possible that Earth has a sub-surface ocean as well as the above surface ocean. But what do I know? I'm no scientist.........

Earth does have a subsurface ocean as well. It was discovered a couple years back.

www.livescience.com...

With the possible Pluto ocean, I would wonder why it's not frozen solid.