What lifeforms could potentially exist within the ocean of Saturn’s moon, Enceladus? This is what a recent study published in Nature Astronomy hopes to address as a team of scientists investigated the likelihood of organic compounds that could have originated from Enceladus’ interior ocean and expelled via the moon’s plumes. This study has the potential to help scientists better understand the conditions on Enceladus, and whether they could be suitable for life as we know it.
For the study, the researchers examined chemical analysis data from ice grains that were analyzed from NASA’s now-retired Cassini spacecraft when it flew through Enceladus’ plumes during its historic mission. These plumes were discovered by Cassini and exist in the south polar region of Enceladus that discharge water and other components from the interior of Enceladus, and potentially from its subsurface ocean.
While the researchers found some of the same substances previously identified within the plumes, they also discovered new oxygen- and nitrogen-bearing compounds that were previously unidentified. They interpret these findings as potentially a hydrothermal environment existing beneath Enceladus’ surface like those at the bottom of Earth’s oceans.
Illustration depicing what could be occurring beneath the surface of Enceladus. (Credit: European Space Agency)
“There are many possible pathways from the organic molecules we found in the Cassini data to potentially biologically relevant compounds, which enhances the likelihood that the moon is habitable,” said Dr. Nozair Khawaja, who is from the Free University of Berlin and is lead author of the study. “There is much more in the data that we are currently exploring, so we are looking forward to finding out more in the near future.”
With the Cassini mission ending in 2017, there are currently no confirmed missions to return to Enceladus and explore its potential for life. However, several proposed missions are currently in the works, including NASA’s Enceladus Orbilander, which will consist of an orbiter and a lander to further explore whether Enceladus could host life as we know it.
What new discoveries about Enceladus’ ocean and potential life-bearing molecules will researchers make in the coming years and decades? Only time will tell, and this is why we science!
As always, keep doing science & keep looking up!
Sources: Nature Astronomy, EurekAlert!
