Scientists find evidence for warm liquid water ocean under Enceladus
Posted: Thu, Mar 12, 2015, 10:56 PM ET (0256 GMT)
Any icy moon of Saturn likely has a warm ocean of liquid water beneath its surface, scientists reported this week. In a paper published in the journal Nature, scientists concluded that a particular type of dust grain found in one of Saturn's rings originated from within Enceladus, the result of a kind of chemical reaction between rock and water that requires temperatures of at least 90 degrees Celsius. Those dust grains were ejected from the moon via geysers. Scientists said this hydrothermal activity is the best evidence to date that Enceladus has a subsurface of liquid water and could be hospitable to life. A second paper, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, linked an excess of methane found in the moon's plumes to processes within that liquid water ocean.
Any icy moon of Saturn likely has a warm ocean of liquid water beneath its surface, scientists reported this week. In a paper published in the journal Nature, scientists concluded that a particular type of dust grain found in one of Saturn's rings originated from within Enceladus, the result of a kind of chemical reaction between rock and water that requires temperatures of at least 90 degrees Celsius. Those dust grains were ejected from the moon via geysers. Scientists said this hydrothermal activity is the best evidence to date that Enceladus has a subsurface of liquid water and could be hospitable to life. A second paper, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, linked an excess of methane found in the moon's plumes to processes within that liquid water ocean.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
NASA IG cites overconfidence and unrealistic schedules for Starliner woes
Posted: Sat, Jul 4 8:11 PM ET (0011 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Tuesday, July 7
Unpacking Europe’s new weather imagers
ESA — 5:01 am ET (0901 GMT) Rocket Lab’s $8 Billion Bet
Los Angeles Business Journal — 4:59 am ET (0859 GMT) SpaceX Wins Bullish Calls With Morgan Stanley’s Target at $300
Bloomberg News — 4:53 am ET (0853 GMT) Artemis II crew member Jeremy Hansen says he’s stepping down from astronaut role
CNN — 4:49 am ET (0849 GMT) Failed rocket firm took slice out of pizza maker and dry cleaners
The Times of London — 4:48 am ET (0848 GMT) |
