At first glance, Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus doesn’t seem like the type of celestial body capable of supporting life, but a closer look reveals it just may have the kind of environment it takes.
At first glance, Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus doesn’t seem like the type of celestial body capable of supporting life, but a closer look reveals it just may have the kind of environment it takes.
To get an idea of the promise the natural satellite offers, one must peer beneath its frozen outer layer.
Information gathered via the Cassini mission gave researchers an opportunity to do just that.
NASA, one of the agencies that oversees Cassini, notes, “observations have shown that Enceladus (313 miles or 504 kilometers across) not only has watery jets sending icy grains into space; under its icy crust it also has a global ocean, and may have hydrothermal activity as well. Since scientists believe liquid water is a key ingredient for life, the implications for future missions searching for life elsewhere in our solar system could be significant.”
NASA also shared one of Cassini’s recent images of the frigid moon.
It was taken in late November from a distance of roughly 81,000 miles.
Those involved with the mission are, in addition to NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency.
