Enceladus (moon of Saturn)

History

2025: Discovering Life

Scientists have found in the data of the NASA Cassini mission evidence of the existence of complex organic molecules in the subglacial ocean of Enceladus, the moon of Saturn. The find gives additional arguments in favor of the theory of the habitability of the bowels of this ice satellite. Among the molecules discovered are aliphatic compounds, cyclic and heterocyclic esters, alkenes, as well as nitrogen and oxygen-containing compounds. Under terrestrial conditions, these molecules participate in sequential chemical reactions, during which more complex molecules are formed for living cells. The study is published in the journal Nature Astronomy in October 2025.

NASA's Cassini spacecraft explored Saturn, its rings and satellites from 2004 to 2017. In 2005, the probe found signs of an ocean beneath Enceladus's icy crust. From the cracks at the south pole of the satellite, jets of water and individual ice particles constantly fly into space. Some of these particles fall back onto Enceladus, others remain in space and form one of the rings around Saturn.

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Фото: Freepik

Whenever Cassini flew through Ring E, it captured particles ejected from Enceladus. Organic molecules were found in them, including amino acid precursors. However, these particles have been in the ring for hundreds of years, were exposed to radiation and changed composition. Scientists sought to investigate fresh, recently flown particles to understand the true composition of Enceladus' ocean.

The opportunity to study fresh samples came in 2008, when Cassini flew close over Enceladus geysers several times. On board the device there was a Cosmic Dust Analyzer, which could count the number of particles flying into it and analyze the properties of individual particles. The device measured their speed, charge, direction of movement, mass and chemical composition.^[1]

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