Potential Biosignatures Detected on Saturn’s Moon Enceladus
Berlin, Germany – New data analysis suggests the potential presence of phosphorus, an essential building block of life, within the ocean of Saturn’s moon Enceladus. This discovery, stemming from re-examination of data collected by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, marks a meaningful step forward in the search for extraterrestrial life within our solar system.
While previous Cassini observations confirmed the presence of water, organic molecules, and a source of energy in Enceladus’ subsurface ocean, the absence of readily available phosphorus had been a major question mark. This latest research, published in Nature, indicates that phosphorus may be present in significantly higher concentrations than previously thought, dissolved in the moon’s ocean as phosphate. The finding dramatically increases the habitability potential of Enceladus, positioning it as a prime target for future exploration.
The Cassini mission, which concluded in 2017, analyzed plumes of water vapor erupting from cracks near Enceladus’ south pole – geysers originating from the moon’s internal ocean. Researchers,led by Christopher Glein of the Southwest Research Institute,utilized geochemical modeling to determine that phosphate concentrations could be at least 100 times greater than previously estimated,based on the ocean’s inferred pH levels.
Phosphorus is crucial for the creation of DNA, RNA, ATP (the energy currency of cells), and cell membranes. Its presence, alongside the other known ingredients for life, suggests that Enceladus’ ocean could potentially support microbial life. Future missions designed to directly sample the plumes or even penetrate the icy shell of Enceladus will be essential to confirm these findings and search for definitive evidence of life. The european Space Agency’s (ESA) JUICE mission, currently en route to Jupiter, and potential future NASA missions are being considered to further investigate the habitability of icy moons like Enceladus.
