Saturn’s Moon Enceladus Shows Increasing Signs of Habitability
New analysis of data collected by NASA’s Cassini probe strengthens the possibility that Saturn’s moon Enceladus could harbor life. The research, published recently, details the discovery of a wider range of organic compounds than previously known within the plumes ejected from Enceladus’s subsurface ocean.
Cassini, which operated from 1997 until its planned destruction in 2017, gathered crucial data by directly sampling ice fragments forcefully ejected from Enceladus’s ocean during a high-speed flyby in 2008. These plumes originate from cryovolcanoes – geysers at the moon’s south pole – that can extend up to 10,000 kilometers in length, exceeding the distance between Mexico and Patagonia.The ejected ice also contributes significantly to Saturn’s outermost main ring,the E ring.
Scientists believe this ejected material originates from a saline water chamber beneath Enceladus’s icy crust,connected to its rocky core,where chemical reactions may be occurring under high pressure and heat. While previous analyses focused on particles found within the E ring, this new study re-examined the 2008 Cassini data, confirming previously detected organic molecules and identifying new, previously undetected compounds.
“Such compounds are believed to be intermediates in the synthesis of more complex molecules, which could be potentially biologically relevant. It is vital to note, however, that these molecules can be formed abiotically as well,” explained Nozair Khawaja, a planetary scientist at Freie Universität Berlin and lead author of the study, in a statement to Reuters.
The significance of this discovery lies in the fact that the compounds were found in freshly ejected particles, indicating they originated within Enceladus’s ocean or at its internal interfaces, rather than being formed during their journey through space or within the E ring. This supports the hypothesis that hydrothermal processes beneath the moon’s surface are driving rich organic chemistry.
Combined with previous findings, scientists have now confirmed the presence of five of the six elements considered essential for life – carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur – within the material ejected from Enceladus.
While this research does not represent a discovery of life or biosignatures, it confirms the presence of the three key conditions necessary for life to potentially form: liquid water, an energy source, and essential elements and organic molecules.
“Enceladus is, and should be ranked, as the prime target to explore habitability and search whether there is life or not,” Khawaja stated.
Enceladus, measuring approximately 500 kilometers in diameter, is the sixth-largest satellite of Saturn, which currently has 274 known bodies within its gravitational pull.
