A recent discovery by scientists has revealed novel organic compounds in icy plumes erupting from Saturn’s moon Enceladus, heightening the possibility of the moon having conditions conducive to supporting life.
The findings, disclosed on Wednesday, are based on data gathered by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft during a close flyby of Enceladus in 2008. Enceladus, a small moon among Saturn’s 274 satellites, has long been regarded as a promising candidate in the quest for extraterrestrial life due to its subsurface ocean and geysers spouting water near its south pole.
Although Enceladus may be habitable, the presence of life has not been confirmed.
“The potential for a habitat and the actual existence of life are two distinct matters. We speculate that Enceladus could be habitable, yet the presence of life remains uncertain,” explained Fabian Klenner from the University of Washington, a participant in the research.
An international team conducted a fresh analysis of minute ice grains collected by Cassini as it passed through the moon’s geysers. These new grains, unlike the much older particles found in one of Saturn’s outer rings, exhibited higher speeds of 64,800 km/h when colliding with Cassini’s cosmic dust analyzer. This increased velocity offered a clearer insight into the chemical composition of the grains, as highlighted by the scientists.
Previous geyser grains had already shown traces of organic molecules, but their age raised doubts about potential alterations due to space radiation over time.
Upon analyzing the new grains, scientists found identical molecules to those in the older grains, affirming their origin from Enceladus’s subsurface ocean, along with the presence of new chemical compounds. These findings were detailed in a publication by Nature Astronomy.
‘Remarkable Discovery’
Measuring just about 500 kilometers in diameter, Enceladus is an icy world encapsulating a rocky core, suspected of containing hydrothermal vents akin to those in the Arctic on its ocean floor. The moon’s jets of water vapor and frozen particles extend thousands of kilometers into space.
“We are confident that these molecules originate from Enceladus’s subsurface ocean, enhancing its potential for habitability,” stated Nozair Khawaja, the lead author from the Free University of Berlin, via email.
The researchers advocate for new missions to further explore Enceladus. Cassini, launched in 1997, has concluded its mission; it was deliberately crashed into Saturn in 2017 following its collaborative operation by NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Italian Space Agency.
