Flying through the plumes of Enceladus, Saturn’s moon, has revealed that the moon has water ice and organic molecules, and that the plumes may contain large-scale saltwater reservoirs. The plumes erupt like geysers through cracks in the moon’s icy crust at the south pole, called tiger stripes. NASA’s Cassini spacecraft sampled the plumes directly by flying through them in 2015. The data from these fly-throughs indicated the presence of organic molecules and dihydrogen (H2), which hinted at hydrothermal vents on the moon’s seafloor

Because life on Earth relies on water and energy, Enceladus has been added to the list of possible places for life in our Solar System. However, flying through the plumes may not yield intact samples, and there’s no indication that flying through the plumes will detect life itself.

“Like all IOWs, it has an internal ocean with lots of water. What is in that water is the subject of much speculation and interest,” he said. “And Enceladus ejects plumes of water into space, making any space mission that wants to sample the water much easier – you can just fly through the plume

Enceladus’ atmosphere is made up of 91% water vapor, 4% nitrogen, 3.2% carbon dioxide, and 1.7% methane. The plumes also contain minor components like molecular nitrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide

Enceladus also contains hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. The combination of carbon dioxide, methane, and hydrogen in the plume suggests methanogenesis, a metabolic process that produces methane. 

According to planetary scientists at the University of Washington, the subsurface ocean of Enceladus probably has higher than previously known concentrations of carbon dioxide and hydrogen and a more Earthlike pH level, possibly providing conditions favorable to life

Enceladus has a significant atmosphere, but it’s very thin and variable. The atmosphere is mostly made of water vapor, and it’s believed to come from gases escaping from within Enceladus. The source of the atmosphere is thought to be periodic cryovolcanism, which causes gases and vapor to escape from the surface or interior

Enceladus’ atmosphere is larger than all other moons in the Solar System, except for Titan. However, Enceladus’ gravity is not strong enough to hold onto water vapor for long. This means that a strong flow of water must constantly replenish the atmosphere. This suggests that Enceladus may have steamy geysers or be volcanically active

Enceladus has an exosphere, which is the scientific way of saying that it has a very thin and variable atmosphere. The exosphere at Enceladus is mostly made up of water vapor and is primarily sourced from the plume activity near the South Pole. These plumes are fed by jets of water ice venting from the moon’s interior

Yes, Enceladus has oxygen. Enceladus is filled with oxygen atoms, and scientists have found all the elements necessary for life, including oxygen, on the moon

Enceladus is an ice-covered moon with a large ocean of liquid water beneath its icy crust. Scientists have found that Enceladus’ ocean is habitable, containing liquid water, energy, and the chemicals carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur. 

However, some say that there is no available oxygen to work with on Enceladus. They also say that organisms would have to contend with a lot of pressure if they wanted to derive energy from the chemical reaction between Enceladus’ subsurface ocean and its rocky core

Enceladus now appears likely to have all three of the ingredients scientists think life needs: liquid water, a source of energy (like sunlight or chemical energy), and the right chemical ingredients (like carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen).

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft discovered hydrogen in the plume of gas and icy particles spraying from Saturn’s moon Enceladus. The discovery means the small, icy moon — which has a global ocean under its surface — has a source of chemical energy that could be useful for microbes, if any exist there. The finding also provides further evidence that warm, mineral-laden water is pouring into the ocean from vents in the seafloor. On Earth, such hydrothermal vents support thriving communities of life in complete isolation from sunlight. Enceladus now appears likely to have all three of the ingredients scientists think life needs: liquid water, a source of energy (like sunlight or chemical energy), and the right chemical ingredients (like carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen

For the first time, phosphorus — the rarest of six elements upon which life as we know it depends — has been found in a tiny ocean-bearing moon in our solar system

Enceladus is an ice-covered moon that harbors an enormous ocean of liquid water underneath an icy crust. Scientists have previously found other key building blocks of life in the moon’s ocean including carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen. However, phosphorus, which teams up with sugars to form a skeleton to DNA molecules and also helps repair and maintain cell membranes, had so far eluded detection

Yes, NASA’s Cassini mission has revealed that Enceladus, Saturn’s moon, has a global ocean of liquid salty water beneath its crust, and that the moon’s plumes may contain large-scale saltwater reservoirs. The moon’s water plumes, which shoot water vapor and tiny grains of ice into space, are rich with organic compounds, some of which are important for life. 

The plume is created when water from the ocean erupts through cracks in Enceladus’ icy crust as geysers at its south pole. The plume then feeds Saturn’s E ring, a faint ring outside of the brighter main rings, with icy particles. 

The plume contains hydrogen cyanide, acetylene, propylene, and ethane along with traces of methanol and molecular oxygen. These compounds could potentially support extant microbial communities or drive complex organic synthesis leading to the origin of life

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