“Water Vapor Emission on Saturn’s Enceladus: James Webb Telescope Discovers Gargantuan Geyser Blasting Water Hundreds of Miles into Space”

CNN Indonesia

Wednesday, May 24 2023 19:00 WIB

Jakarta, CNNIndonesia —

Telescope James Webb (JWST) caught water vapor emitting on one of the Planet’s satellites Saturn, Enceladus. Where does the water come from?

Launch LiveScience, hot showers that shoot up into the sky and may contain chemicals for life. Experts have also detailed the findings in November 2022 at a conference at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore.

“Incredible,” said Sara Faggi planetary astronomer at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Unfortunately, said Faggi, the paper containing the full research on the shower is still pending.

Enceladus is a natural satellite of Saturn, along with Dione, Epimetheus, Janus, Mimas, Prometheus, Rhea, Tethys and Titan.

This isn’t the first time experts have detected hot showers on Enceladus. Reported Naturethe wide perspective capability of James Webb complete with high sensitivity shows the jet of gas from the shower further than previously thought.

In fact, the length of its bursts exceeds the width of Enceladus itself, which has a diameter of 504 km.

Scientists first learned about Enceladus’ showers in 2005 when NASA’s Cassini probe caught ice particles shooting through large moon gaps called “tiger stripes”.

The explosion was so strong that the material formed one of Saturn’s rings.

Analysis revealed the plume contained methane, carbon dioxide and ammonia – organic molecules that contain the chemical building blocks necessary for life to develop.

In fact, it’s possible that some of this gas was produced by life itself emitting methane deep beneath the surface of Enceladus.

In addition, water is another proof of the potential for the existence of life on Enceladus, which is completely filled with a thick layer of ice. Measurements of its rotation show that a vast ocean is hidden beneath that frozen crust.

Experts think the water plumes felt by JWST and Cassini originate from hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor – a hypothesis supported by the presence of silica, a common material in planetary crusts, in plumes of steam.

NASA scientists are discussing a future return mission to search Enceladus for signs of life.

The proposed Enceladus Orbilander would orbit around it for about six months, flying through its water jets and collecting samples.

Then, the spacecraft will turn into a lander to descend to the icy surface of the moon.

Orbilander will bring instruments for weighing and analyzing molecules, as well as a DNA sequencer and a microscope. Cameras, radio loudspeakers and lasers will remotely scan the surface of Enceladus.

(lth)