This article appeared in Discover’s annual state of science issue as “New Oceans in the Cosmos.” Support our science journalism by becoming a subscriber.
Earth Isn't the Only Ocean World in the Solar System
Watery worlds like Ceres — a dwarf planet in the asteroid belt — hint that our solar system is wetter than we thought. And where there's water, there might be life.
By Eric Betz
Dec 11, 2020 3:00 PM
The icy dwarf planet Ceres appears to hold a subsurface sea. This discovery fuels the hunt for life beyond Earth. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA)
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