There is no evidence of life on the moon Enceladus, which spews giant geysers of water vapor into space.
However, NASA believes Saturn’s icy satellites are one of the best places to observe.
In new research published in Natural astronomyplanetary scientists examine discoveries made by the space agency’s Cassini mission, which flew through Enceladus’ carbon-rich, watery plume. They concluded that the plume, as well as the sea beneath the ice, also contained the important molecule hydrogen cyanide – “a molecule that was essential for the emergence of life.” NASA explains.
“Our research provides further evidence that Enceladus contains some of the most important molecules both for creating the building blocks of life and for sustaining life through metabolic reactions,” study author Jonah Peter, a graduate student at Harvard University who worked on Enceladus research studies at NASA, said in the statement .
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Life on Earth requires amino acids – organic compounds found in genetic material and proteins. Hydrogen cyanide is the main ingredient in the formation of amino acids.
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“The discovery of hydrogen cyanide is very exciting because it is the starting point for most theories about the origins of life,” said Peter.
NASA’s Cassini spacecraft captured streams of water vapor and organic compounds shot from the Moon’s south pole on November 21, 2009.
Source: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute
Enceladus has a diameter of 314 miles (505 km) compared to Great Britain.
Source: NASA
Although the Cassini mission ended in 2017 when the spacecraft burned up in Saturn’s atmosphere, scientists are still analyzing all the data sent back to Earth. They already knew that the plume contained a lot of water, as well as carbon dioxide and methane. However, upon deeper analysis, they discovered that it also contained hydrogen cyanide.
But that’s not everything.
“Our research provides further evidence that Enceladus hosts some of the most important molecules that create the building blocks of life and sustain life through metabolic reactions.”
Scientists also discovered that organic compounds (meaning they contain carbon, a common ingredient in life) had been changed, specifically “oxidized,” a process in which energy is released. In short, this suggests that the chemical processes occurring in Enceladus’ ocean, spread beneath its icy crust, “are capable of providing large amounts of energy for any life today,” said Kevin Hand, one of the authors of the new study. , from NASA. statement.
Enceladus is becoming increasingly interesting. NASA is currently considering a proposal to send a spacecraft under a project called Enceladus Orbilander, to that distant moon. The robotic ship will fly around Enceladus and then land on its mysterious icy surface.
2023-12-17 14:28:45
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