Possible life on Saturn's moon
Enceladus, Saturn’s sixth largest moon, may contain the necessary conditions to support life, according to a recent study from NASA and the European Space Agency.
The space programs’ collaborative project, called the Cassini program, detected large plumes of vapor on the surface of the moon, which contain significant levels of hydrogen. Scientists believe that the hydrogen is a result of hydrothermal activity in Enceladus’s subsurface ocean, indicating a strong possibility of microbial life. The Cassini spacecraft was sent into the vapor to measure the hydrogen levels, as well as take photos of Saturn’s rings.
On Earth, similar hydrogen vapor is found in seafloor hot springs, which serve as food for microbial ecosystems. While NASA has yet to find life itself on Enceladus, the discovery of the hydrogen geysers is a significant ingredient of the recipe for life. The other ingredients include liquid water, an energy source, and the chemicals carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulphur. Researchers have found all of these, except for phosphorus and sulphur, on Enceladus.
Similar hydrogen plumes have also been detected on Europa, an icy moon of Jupiter. Because Europa is much larger than Enceladus, scientists suspect that it is more likely to host life because it has more available energy and nutrients.
In an effort to keep Enceladus uncontaminated, Cassini will be sent on a “grand finale” mission rather than being allowed to crash into the surface of the moon. Cassini will travel between Saturn and its innermost rings, and then burn up in Saturn’s atmosphere.
