<p>No, they aren't all covered in water ice.</p>
<p>As an example, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Io_(moon)" rel="noreferrer">Io</a>, a moon of Jupiter is covered in volcanically deposited sulfur and sulfur dioxide frost.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/QtdHA.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/QtdHA.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>Solar system mechanisms are pretty complex and varied, so we wouldn't expect similar quantities of water as exist on Earth.  Also, the &quot;frost line&quot; for water in the Solar System isn't the same as the &quot;frost line&quot; for many other compounds like Ethane and Methane.  Saturn's moon Titan has <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakes_of_Titan" rel="noreferrer">lakes of the stuff</a>:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/RVzaW.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/RVzaW.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>Instead of water snow, Titan has benzene snow that dissolves as it falls in the lakes!  Delightful...</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-16T20:46:51.833Z
2020-12-16T20:46:51.833Z
Connor Garcia
<p>Not sure where I heard that but I want to make sure if it's true. Forget about the asteroid belt for a minute: Are all the moons of the outer planets and kuiper belt objects covered in water ice?</p>

<temperature>
Is every single large solid body orbiting entirely outside of the frost line covered in ice?
standbsck
# Is every single large solid body orbiting entirely outside of the frost line covered in ice?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-12-16)

Not sure where I heard that but I want to make sure if it's true. Forget about the asteroid belt for a minute: Are all the moons of the outer planets and kuiper belt objects covered in water ice?

**Tags:** temperature


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-12-16. Score: 5

No, they aren't all covered in water ice.

As an example, [Io](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Io_(moon)), a moon of Jupiter is covered in volcanically deposited sulfur and sulfur dioxide frost.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/QtdHA.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/QtdHA.jpg)

Solar system mechanisms are pretty complex and varied, so we wouldn't expect similar quantities of water as exist on Earth. Also, the "frost line" for water in the Solar System isn't the same as the "frost line" for many other compounds like Ethane and Methane. Saturn's moon Titan has [lakes of the stuff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakes_of_Titan):

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/RVzaW.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/RVzaW.jpg)

Instead of water snow, Titan has benzene snow that dissolves as it falls in the lakes! Delightful...


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