Hydrothermal activity likely found on Enceladus
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.028703
Nature : Saturn’s ice-covered ocean moon Enceladus appears to be the first body in the solar system other than Earth that has hydrothermal activity. Using data collected by the Cassini spacecraft, Hsiang-Wen “Sean” Hsu of the University of Colorado Boulder and his colleagues found evidence of silicon-rich particles being sprayed away from the moon. Their analysis indicates that the size and chemical composition of the particles match what is produced by thermal vents on ocean floors. On Earth, such vents provide environments that are rich in the resources needed for bacteria and other simple life-forms to thrive. If the material spotted by Cassini is produced by hydrothermal vents, it is the best evidence yet that conditions on other bodies might be conducive to nonterrestrial life.
