Scientists have identified new types of organic materials in icy jets emanating from Enceladus, one of Saturn’s moons, indicating the potential for life-sustaining conditions on the ocean-covered celestial body. These revelations stem from observations made by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft during a close and rapid flyby of Enceladus in 2008. Enceladus, a small moon among Saturn’s 274 satellites, has long been considered a promising candidate for extraterrestrial life due to its subsurface ocean and geysers spouting water near its southern pole.
Although Enceladus could be habitable, researchers are cautious about proposing the existence of life on the moon. Fabian Klenner from the University of Washington, a participant in the study, emphasized the distinction between habitability and actual inhabitation, underscoring the uncertainty surrounding the presence of life on Enceladus.
To delve deeper into the composition of the icy grains from Enceladus’s geysers, an international team conducted a fresh analysis. These newly encountered grains, which collided with Cassini’s dust analyzer at a speed of 64,800 km/h, revealed a range of chemical compounds at a higher velocity compared to older geyser particles found in one of Saturn’s outer rings.
The discovery of familiar organic molecules along with new chemical compounds in the recently collected grains confirms their origin from Enceladus’s subsurface ocean. These significant findings were detailed in a publication in Nature Astronomy.
Enceladus, a moon about 500 kilometers in diameter with a rocky core and covered in ice, is believed to host hydrothermal vents similar to those in the Arctic on its ocean floor. The moon’s impressive jets of water vapor and frozen particles extend for thousands of kilometers into space, enhancing its potential for supporting life.
The lead author, Nozair Khawaja from the Free University of Berlin, expressed confidence that the identified molecules originated from Enceladus’s underground sea, thereby augmenting its habitability prospects. The researchers advocate for future missions to further explore Enceladus, considering the wealth of organic compounds found on this extraterrestrial water world as remarkable.
While Cassini, the spacecraft that provided these insights, completed its mission in 2017, efforts are underway to plan new missions to Enceladus. The European Space Agency and China have proposed landing missions to the moon. Additionally, NASA has its sights set on Jupiter’s moon Europa, with the Europa Clipper mission slated to begin orbiting Jupiter in 2030 for extensive exploration.
The presence of underground oceans on moons within our solar system presents promising opportunities for the discovery of extraterrestrial life. Nigel Mason, a physics professor at the University of Kent, not involved in the latest findings, underscores the importance of further studies in elucidating the potential for life beyond Earth in our cosmic neighborhood.