As per report released by U.S. Journal, 'SCIENCE' on 26th July, 2018, a massive underground lake has been detected on which planet?

The answer is Mars (D). In July 2018, a team led by Roberto Orosei, using the MARSIS radar on ESA's Mars Express orbiter, reported a liquid-water-like reflector about 1.5 km below the south polar ice cap (Planum Australe), roughly 20 km across. The findings appeared in the journal Science. The water is thought to be salty and cold, and later analyses have questioned the interpretation, so treat it as a strong candidate rather than a settled fact.

• Jupiter (A): A gas giant with no solid surface. Its moons Europa and Ganymede are believed to have subsurface oceans, which is a different claim.
• Saturn (B): Also a gas giant. Enceladus has a subsurface ocean and Titan has surface methane lakes, but the planet itself has no such lake.
• Venus (C): Surface temperatures near 460 degrees Celsius and a crushing CO2 atmosphere make stable surface water impossible.

The core concept is planetary water and astrobiology. For Mains, it links to the search for habitability, the role of water as a resource for future missions, and ISRO's Mangalyaan mission.

Trap: Aspirants mix up the planet with its moons. Europa and Enceladus have subsurface oceans, but this 2018 report concerns the planet Mars.