Enceladus Teeming With Life? NASA say maybe.

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In summary, NASA's Cassini spacecraft has found that there are watery jets erupting from what may be a vast underground sea on the small moon Enceladus. These jets could lead back to a habitable zone that is uniquely accessible in all the solar system. Additionally, thermal measurements have revealed temperatures as high as -120 degrees Fahrenheit emanating from some of the fissures on the moon. If these findings are confirmed, it would be interesting to study the possibility of life on Enceladus.
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Dotini
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http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/27mar_enceladus/
March 27, 2012: There's a tiny moon orbiting beyond Saturn's rings that's full of promise, and maybe -- just maybe -- microbes.

In a series of tantalizingly close flybys to the moon, named "Enceladus," NASA's Cassini spacecraft has revealed watery jets erupting from what may be a vast underground sea. These jets, which spew through cracks in the moon's icy shell, could lead back to a habitable zone that is uniquely accessible in all the solar system.

"More than 90 jets of all sizes near Enceladus's south pole are spraying water vapor, icy particles, and organic compounds all over the place," says Carolyn Porco, an award-winning planetary scientist and leader of the Imaging Science team for NASA’s Cassini spacecraft . "Cassini has flown several times now through this spray and has tasted it. And we have found that aside from water and organic material, there is salt in the icy particles. The salinity is the same as that of Earth's oceans."

Rich geysers aren't the only auspicious thing about Enceladus. Thermal measurements have revealed temperatures as high as -120 deg Fahrenheit (190 Kelvin) emanating from some of these fissures.

"If you add up all the heat, 16 gigawatts of thermal energy are coming out of those cracks," says Porco.
Microbes on Enceladus? (fissures, 200px)
The watery plumes of Enceladus come from icy fissures nicknamed "tiger stripes." [more]

She believes the small moon, with its sub-surface liquid sea, organics, and an energy source, may host the same type of life we find in similar environments on Earth.



Respectfully submitted,
Steve
 
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Well, that's a really big "maybe". Let's hope there are though!
 
  • #3
Of course, in the light of what we know of interplanetary panspermia, life on Enceladus might be very similar to terrestrial life...

Transfer of Life-Bearing Meteorites from Earth to Other Planets

...which would be fascinating to study because of its adaptations to such an alien environment, but otherwise would answer none of our questions about the origin(s) of Life.
 
  • #4
Dotini said:
She believes the small moon, wi...coming a self-fulfilling prophecy. Creator
 
  • #5
Creator said:
Reminds me of the well respected astronomer Percival Lowell who was always 'seeing" water and life on Mars.

Hopefully one of our flybys (or landings) doesn't contaminate Enceladus to the point of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Creator

Good point.
 

1. Is there really a possibility of life on Enceladus?

According to NASA scientists, there is a strong possibility of microbial life existing on Enceladus due to the presence of organic compounds and liquid water on its surface.

2. How did NASA discover the potential for life on Enceladus?

NASA's Cassini spacecraft detected plumes of water vapor and organic molecules emanating from the surface of Enceladus, providing evidence for the existence of liquid water and potential habitable conditions for microbial life.

3. Could there be other forms of life on Enceladus besides microbial?

While microbial life is the most probable form of life on Enceladus, it is also possible that more complex forms of life could exist in the subsurface ocean. However, further research and exploration is needed to confirm this possibility.

4. How does the potential for life on Enceladus impact our understanding of the universe?

The discovery of potential life on Enceladus expands our understanding of the conditions necessary for life to exist in the universe. It also increases the likelihood of finding life on other icy moons or planets within our own solar system and beyond.

5. What is NASA's plan for further exploration of Enceladus?

NASA plans to send a dedicated mission to Enceladus in the future to further study its potential for life. This mission will likely include a lander to collect samples from the surface and a probe to explore the subsurface ocean.

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