What are ocean worlds?

Ocean worlds are planets that have big oceans covering most of their surface, just like Earth has oceans and land.

What makes them special?

Imagine you're playing with a water balloon on a really big trampoline, that’s kind of what ocean worlds are like. They’re planets covered in water, not dirt or rocks like some other planets we know.

How do they work?

Some ocean worlds might have ice at the top, like a frozen skin on a lake after winter. But underneath, there could be liquid water moving around, just like how your bathtub fills up when you turn on the tap.

These oceans might even have underwater mountains and valleys, kind of like the ones in the deep sea on Earth. Some ocean worlds might have geysers that shoot water high into the air, like a big fountain in a park.

Ocean worlds are exciting because they remind us that there’s more to space than just Earth, and maybe even life could be hiding under those big oceans!

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Examples

  1. Enceladus has an ocean under its ice, and it shoots water into space like a spaceship.
  2. Imagine Earth if it were covered in ice, but beneath the surface is a warm, salty sea, that's what Europa might be like.
  3. Scientists use special tools to detect oceans on faraway worlds.

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