Uranus' Moon Ariel May Have Housed 100‑mile‑Deep Subsurface Ocean

New research suggests that Ariel, one of Uranus’ moons, once contained a subsurface ocean more than 100 miles deep beneath its fractured icy shell. The finding, based on recent observations, aligns with similar evidence from the nearby moon Miranda, indicating that the Uranian system may host multiple hidden ocean worlds. This expands the catalog of icy bodies with potential subsurface oceans and raises fresh questions about the thermal and geological histories of outer‑solar‑system moons. The discovery also informs models of how such oceans form and persist under extreme conditions, offering new targets for future exploration.