Scientists have discovered Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus spewing a “huge column” of water vapor far into space – potentially containing many chemicals needed for life.
Scientists have detailed the eruption – glimpses before James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in November 2022 – During a conference at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore on May 17.
“it’s huge” Sarah FagyA planetary astronomer from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center said at the conference, according to Nature.com. According to Fiji, an entire paper on the massive plume is pending.
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This isn’t the first time scientists have seen water pouring from Enceladus, but the new telescope’s wider view and higher sensitivity showed that the jets of steam are shooting out into space much further than they otherwise would. Previously thought – much deeper, in fact, than the vastness of Enceladus. Himself. (Enceladus is about 313 miles, or 504 kilometers, in diameter.)
Scientists first learned of the watery eruptions of Enceladus in 2005, when NASA’s Cassini spacecraft detected ice particles streaming through large lunar cracks. It’s called “Tiger Stripes.”. “ The eruptions are so powerful that their substance makes up one of the Saturn’s ringsaccording to NASA.
Analysis revealed that the jets contained methane, carbon dioxide and ammonia – organic molecules that contain chemical elements necessary for the development of life. It’s even possible that some of these gases may have been produced by life itself, spewing methane deep into Enceladus’ surface, an international team of researchers hypothesized in paper published last year in the journal Enceladus. Planetary Science Journal.
Water is another clue in the case of possible life on Enceladus. Enceladus is completely covered with a thick layer of water ice, but measurements of the moon’s rotation indicate that a vast ocean is hidden beneath this frozen crust. Scientists believe that the jets of water detected by JWST and Cassini come from hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor – a hypothesis supported by the presence of silica, a common component of planetary crusts, in the steam plumes.
NASA scientists discuss future return missions to search for signs of life on Enceladus. Suggestion Enceladus Orbilander It orbits the Moon for six months, flying through the water columns and collecting samples. Then the spacecraft will turn into a lander, landing on the icy surface of the moon. Orbilander will carry tools for weighing and analyzing molecules, as well as a DNA sequencer and microscope. Cameras, radios and lasers will remotely scan the lunar surface, Planetary Society reported.
Another suggested task is to send “Android snakeIn the watery depths beneath Enceladus’ surface, the robot, called Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor, features cameras and a lidar on its head to help it navigate the unfamiliar environment of the ocean floor on Enceladus.