NASA Experiment Reveals: Life Signs Could Survive Near Surfaces of Enceladus and Europa
NASA researchers have found that amino acids, potential indicators of life, could survive near the surface of Europa and Enceladus, moons of Jupiter and Saturn…
Enceladus News
Enceladus is one of the smaller moons of Saturn, discovered in 1789 by William Herschel. It is particularly noteworthy for its highly reflective icy surface, making it one of the brightest objects in our solar system. Enceladus is intriguing to scientists because of its subsurface ocean of salty liquid water beneath the moon’s icy crust. This was confirmed through the observations of plumes of water ice and vapor, along with organic molecules, being ejected from its south polar region through cracks known as “tiger stripes.” These findings suggest that Enceladus could potentially harbor environments suitable for life, which makes it a prime target for astrobiological research. The Cassini spacecraft, which studied Saturn and its moons from 2004 to 2017, provided much of the current knowledge about Enceladus, revealing its geological activity and complex chemistry.
Saturn’s Surprise: NASA Discovers Life-Sparking Energy Source and Molecule at Enceladus
A study zooms in on data that NASA’s Cassini gathered at Saturn’s icy moon and finds evidence of a key ingredient for life and a…
From Icy Plumes to Extraterrestrial Life: Amino Acids on Saturn’s Moon Enceladus
Enceladus’ ice plumes may hold the building blocks of life. As astrophysics technology and research continue to advance, one question persists: is there life elsewhere…
Scientists Detect 6000-Mile-Long Plume of Water Escaping From Saturn’s Moon
SwRI scientist awarded JWST Cycle 2 observations of Enceladus A pair of scientists from the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) were members of a James Webb…
Saturn’s Icy Moon Enceladus: Study Proves Existence of Key Element for Life in the Outer Solar System
Researchers from Freie Universität Berlin have discovered phosphorus in the subsurface ocean of Saturn’s moon Enceladus. The search for extraterrestrial life in our solar system…
First Direct Evidence of Phosphorus – a Key Building Block of Life – on an Extraterrestrial Ocean World
Saturn’s moon Enceladus contains phosphates, a key building block of life, at levels significantly higher than Earth’s oceans, suggesting potential habitability, according to a study…
Building Block for Life Discovered in Enceladus’ Ocean by NASA’s Cassini Spacecraft
Phosphorus, a key chemical element for many biological processes, has been found in icy grains emitted by the small moon and is likely abundant in…
Critical Ingredient for Life Discovered at Saturn’s Icy Moon Enceladus
Southwest Research Institute helped find evidence for phosphorus in the liquid water ocean beneath the moon’s icy surface. Researchers, using data from NASA’s Cassini mission,…
Webb Space Telescope Detects 6000-Mile Water Plume Jetting From Saturn’s Moon Enceladus
Interaction between moon’s plumes and Saturn’s ring system explored with Webb Enceladus—a tiny, icy moon of Saturn—is one of the most intriguing objects in the…
Shape-Shifting Serpent of Space: NASA’s EELS Robot Revolutionizes Extraterrestrial Exploration
A versatile robot that would autonomously map, traverse, and explore previously inaccessible destinations is being put to the test at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. How…
Is There Life on Saturn’s Icy Moon Enceladus? A Future Space Mission Could Provide Answers
Enceladus, encased in a thick ice shell and surrounded by a vast ocean, is a strong contender for potentially containing extraterrestrial life. Researchers have concluded…
Key Building Block for Life Likely Discovered on One of Saturn’s Moons
The subsurface ocean of Saturn’s moon is most likely rich in phosphorus, a key component for life. The hunt for extraterrestrial life has just become…
“Stealth” Ocean Worlds: Evidence Uncovered for an Internal Ocean in Small Saturn Moon
Discovery Could Point to a New Class of “Stealth” Ocean Worlds A study by the Southwest Research Institute revealed that Mimas, Saturn’s innermost moon, likely…
Icequakes Likely Rumble Along Geyser-Spitting Fractures on Saturn’s Icy Moon Enceladus
Seismic activity could give scientists a read on the thickness of the ice encasing the moon and the oceans believed to lie beneath. Tidal stresses…
Possible Signs of Alien Life? Methane in the Plumes of Saturn’s Moon Enceladus
A study published in Nature Astronomy concludes that known geochemical processes can’t explain the levels of methane measured by the Cassini spacecraft on Saturn’s icy…
Encased in an Icy Shell, the Ocean on Saturn’s Moon Enceladus Appears to Be Churning
Buried beneath 20 kilometers of ice, the subsurface ocean of Enceladus—one of Saturn’s moons—appears to be churning with currents akin to those on Earth. The…
Worlds With Underground Oceans – Like Europa, Titan, and Enceladus – May Be More Conducive to Supporting Life Than Earth
Layers of ice and rock obviate the need for “habitable zone” and shield life against threats. SwRI researcher theorizes worlds with underground oceans may be…
Discovery Provides More Evidence That Saturn’s Moon Enceladus Could Support Life in Its Subsurface Ocean
Models Point to a Potentially Diverse Metabolic Menu at Enceladus Using data from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, scientists at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) modeled chemical processes…