In a boost to finding alien life, NASA scientists have discovered that oceans beneath the icy surface of distant worlds at the edge of our solar system may sustain liquid water for far longer than previously believed. Heat generated by the gravitational pull of moons formed from massive collisions could extend the lifetimes of liquid water oceans beneath the surface of large icy worlds in our outer solar system. However, there is evidence that some may have layers of liquid water beneath their icy crusts. Space radiation converts crystalline water ice to the amorphous form and breaks down ammonia hydrates, so they are not expected to survive long on TNO surfaces. This suggests that both compounds may have come from an interior liquid water layer that erupted to the surface, a process known as cryovolcanism.

Source: dna December 01, 2017 08:03 UTC