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[cameron]

Icarus Paper via ScienceDirect: "Enceladus’s measured physical libration requires a global subsurface ocean"

NASA Press Release: Cassini Finds Global Ocean in Saturn's Moon Enceladus

A global ocean lies beneath the icy crust of Saturn's geologically active moon Enceladus, according to new research using data from NASA's Cassini mission.

Researchers found the magnitude of the moon's very slight wobble, as it orbits Saturn, can only be accounted for if its outer ice shell is not frozen solid to its interior, meaning a global ocean must be present.

The finding implies the fine spray of water vapor, icy particles and simple organic molecules Cassini has observed coming from fractures near the moon's south pole is being fed by this vast liquid water reservoir. The research is presented in a paper published online this week in the journal Icarus.

Previous analysis of Cassini data suggested the presence of a lens-shaped body of water, or sea, underlying the moon's south polar region. However, gravity data collected during the spacecraft's several close passes over the south polar region lent support to the possibility the sea might be global. The new results -- derived using an independent line of evidence based on Cassini's images -- confirm this to be the case.

The unfolding story of Enceladus has been one of the great triumphs of Cassini's long mission at Saturn. Scientists first detected signs of the moon's icy plume in early 2005, and followed up with a series of discoveries about the material gushing from warm fractures near its south pole. They announced strong evidence for a regional sea in 2014, and more recently, in 2015, they shared results that suggest hydrothermal activity is taking place on the ocean floor.

Cassini is scheduled to make a close flyby of Enceladus on Oct. 28, in the mission's deepest-ever dive through the moon's active plume of icy material. The spacecraft will pass a mere 30 miles (49 kilometers) above the moon's surface.

More in the link.

This is the Cassini image from 2005 showing the plumes. Fountains of Enceladus:

Fun fact. Enceladus feeds Saturn's E ring. Ghostly Fingers of Enceladus:

Wispy fingers of bright, icy material reach tens of thousands of kilometers outward from Saturn's moon Enceladus into the E ring, while the moon's active south polar jets continue to fire away.

Living Moon: Enceladus continues to exhale water ice into Saturn orbit, keeping the E ring topped off with tiny particles.

Link to image gallery: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/targetFamily/Saturn?subselect=Target:Enceladus:&start=100

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

BY THE MOONS OF SATURN!
doss that mean if there is an ocean and geothermal activity, life follows?

 

[CadetMahoney]

amazing, 100% guaranteed some cellular life then.

 

[Parch]

Love the stuff from Cassini and it's been a huge success. It's such a cool neighborhood to explore.

 

[Slayer-33]

FUCK.

 

[Amir0x]

BY THE MOONS OF SATURN!
doss that mean if there is an ocean and geothermal activity, life follows?

at the bottom of our ocean where no sun can reach, there is amazing life around geothermal vents.

this may be one of the best chances of there being life in our universe outside our own planet to be sure. it doesn't guarantee it, but the odds are more than 0% certainly.

 

[More_Badass]

at the bottom of our ocean where no sun can reach, there is amazing life around geothermal vents.

this may be one of the best chances of there being life in our universe outside our own planet to be sure. it doesn't guarantee it, but the odds are up.

We found life in lightless, subterranean Antarctic lake. So yeah it's likely

 

[Tenebrous]

Wow, this is already amazing, but it could be world changing... Excited to see & hear more.

 

[Volimar]

Great Filter believers am cry.

 

[Amir0x]

We found life in lightless, subterranean Antarctic lake. So yeah it's likely

It's not that simple. The processes that are in place in Enceladus are by no means 1:1 analogous to Earth. Since we are still not precisely sure what led to life first starting on Earth, we can not say it is likely or guaranteed. Just that the odds are certainly nonzero.

 

[Parch]

It has to be high probability that there is life elsewhere in our solar system. Unfortunately it might be quite a long time before humans finally prove it.

 

[Anfony O]

Great Filter believers am cry.

The great filter doesn't have to exist prior to life

 

[Volimar]

Time to send a drill probe up with a radioactive bit to melt through all that ice.

The great filter doesn't have to exist prior to life

But it helps.

 

[Lime]

Now Europa has a contender for most visually striking moon in the solar system

 

[Armoured Priest]

So Saturn has a moon possibly analogous to Jupiter's Europa?


edit: dammit, beaten

 

[Orbis Tabula]

Awesome. There just has to be life. Someone send a probe there pleeeeeease.

 

[gdt]

Ok what's the next step?

How can we extract some of that water? Are we anywhere close technology wise?

 

[Lime]

Ok what's the next step?

How can we extract some of that water? Are we anywhere close technology wise?

What would we need water for? We already got enough as it is, with global warming and everything.

 

[CadetMahoney]

Ok what's the next step?

How can we extract some of that water? Are we anywhere close technology wise?

Well.

How do we get this water to California?

Also, I hope there's intelligent life there so we can give them freedom.

 

[abstract alien]

Is that last pic in the op real? Damn that's gorgeous.

 

[xbhaskarx]

How many moons in our solar system are now believed to have oceans under their icy surfaces? It seems like the list grows every few years...

 

[GK86]

Man, that looks insanely beautiful.

Cassini is an amazing investment.

 

[rjinaz]

Ok what's the next step?

How can we extract some of that water? Are we anywhere close technology wise?

NASA just needs to put a call to Harry Stamper.

 

[billeh]

Apparently the icy crust is only 25 miles thick? That doesn't seem too insurmountable.

I don't think we've dug anywhere near that much into the Earth, but maybe they have have an easier go at it with ice?

 

[ChaosXVI]

Urgh! It's so frustrating that we are clearly on the cusp of some really, really great discoveries about our solar system...and I'll probably fucking die 20 years before we find anything substantial.

 

[Amir0x]

Ok what's the next step?

How can we extract some of that water? Are we anywhere close technology wise?

What they wanted to do on another moon is send a probe which can drill beneath the ice and then go deep down collecting scientific data. Some scientific groups are developing the technology to try to propose the idea to NASA.

 

[GDGF]

I fucking hope they find out that our solar system is teaming with life besides our own.

And then go on to discover that life in some form is fairly common throughout the universe.

 

[Toxi]

We already knew Enceladus had liquid water beneath the ice where the vents were spewing it out, but we didn't know the ocean covered the entire moon. That's really smart how they inferred its existence.

Apparently the icy crust is only 25 miles thick? That doesn't seem too insurmountable.

I don't think we've dug anywhere near that much into the Earth, but maybe they have have an easier go at it with ice?

Honestly, it would be easier to just collect water from the plumes at the south pole.

 

[xbhaskarx]

Ok what's the next step?

How can we extract some of that water? Are we anywhere close technology wise?

So, bring all the water to the earth so the sea levels can rise even faster?

What they wanted to do on another moon is send a probe which can drill beneath the ice and then go deep down collecting scientific data. Some scientific groups are developing the technology to try to propose the idea to NASA.

Didn't Russia do something similar to an underground sea somewhere in Antarctica, while not contaminating it with life forms from the earth's surface?

 

[rokkerkory]

We need to visit these places asap

 

[ugh_the_boot]

I already knew this lol, i mean where else has saturn been getting it's rings from all this time. I still think Titan and Europa are the best places to search for life however as Europa probably has a molten core when is generating the much needed heat to support life. Titan a moon where methane exists in all 3 forms (just like water on earth), is also a very high probability as methane is a multistep process used by living organisms as an energy source.

 

[Ihyll]

So they continue to waste resources by sending probes to planetoids in the far reaches of the solar system, when they could be exploring moons that might be possibly teeming with life....

 

[SilentRacoon]

That thing looks mesmerizing, it's so beautiful.

Sad that we won't get anywhere near them anytime soon.

So, bring all the water to the earth so the sea levels can rise even faster?



Didn't Russia do something similar to an underground sea somewhere in Antarctica, while not contaminating it with life forms from the earth's surface?

I think he means to analyze it or something of the sorts.

 

[Amir0x]

Didn't Russia do something similar to an underground sea somewhere in Antarctica, while not contaminating it with life forms from the earth's surface?

The first hole they dug in Lake Vostok was a disaster, and totally contaminated. The second hole they successfully drilled in 2015 was apparently a success, but things have gotten fairly quiet so we don't really know much about any lifeforms that were found or whatever. They got the samples for analysis in late May, and as far as I'm aware have yet to release their findings.

So they continue to waste resources by sending probes to planetoids in the far reaches of the solar system, when they could be exploring moons that might be possibly teeming with life....

That's a funny way to use the phrase "waste resources."

 

[eot]

What's causing the vapor to be ejected so violently?

 

[John Kowalski]

What's causing the vapor to be ejected so violently?

This is a family forum.

 

[Poodlestrike]

California-GAF, I have a solution to your drought-and-fire problem.

But it's gonna cost a few billion dollars.

 

[LookAtMeGo]

This is exciting and awesome. I always thought this ocean was there but confirmation is nice.

 

[Perfect Blue]

 

[Amir0x]

What's causing the vapor to be ejected so violently?

Most likely tidal forces from its circuit around Saturn. Link

 

[qcf x2]

amazing, 100% guaranteed some cellular life then.

lol @ 100%. Let's not do the whole jumping to conclusions thing.

Seriously though, they need to prioritize sending probes to Enceladus, Europa and Titan. The moon, asteroids, etc can wait.

This is a family forum.

lmao

 

[foxuzamaki]

I want to see what the water of one of saturn's moons tastes like

 

[AmyS]

Fucking amazing.

 

[brainchild]

I am absolutely GOBSMACKED by this! Incredible!

 

[Stinkles]

What's causing the vapor to be ejected so violently?

A hilarious one-liner.

 

[Log4Girlz]

Recent story is that Io too has a subsurface planetary ocean, which explains the odd positioning of its volcanos which did not fit into their previous model of the satellite.


Ocean of magma.

 

[YesNOnoNOYes]

wow, super awesome everytime NASA releases things like this I go right back to that old feels of J. Edgar Burrough's space opera books~~~

*____*

 

[rjinaz]

I want to see what the water of one of saturn's moons tastes like

Man and I thought the price of Fiji water was expensive already.

Enceladus tm

Water for the top 2 percent.

 

[IISANDERII]

Organic??????

 

[Chichikov]

Amazing.
For all the people who complain about how we'll never get to other stars, just look at the shit that is in our back yard!

It's not that simple. The processes that are in place in Enceladus are by no means 1:1 analogous to Earth. Since we are still not precisely sure what led to life first starting on Earth, we can not say it is likely or guaranteed. Just that the odds are certainly nonzero.

Yeah, we know that once life begins (at least life like we know them on earth) it will spread pretty much everywhere, but that does not mean that life can begin everywhere.