Astronomy
NASA's Cassini spacecraft made a close flyby on Wednesday March 12 of Enceladus, one of Saturn's numerous moons. Cassini flew by the moon at 15 kilometers per second (32,000 mph), through icy water jets, that are similar to geysers. With the information from the flyby, the tiny ice moon Enceladus is revealed to be active and hot. It also has a lot of water vapor and organic material.
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Astronomy
Cassini Meets The Jets of Enceladus
NASA's Cassini spacecraft made a close flyby on Wednesday March 12 of Enceladus, one of Saturn's numerous moons. Cassini flew by the moon at 15 kilometers per second (32,000 mph), through icy water jets, that are similar to geysers. With the information from the flyby, the tiny ice moon Enceladus is revealed to be active and hot. It also has a lot of water vapor and organic material.
There are many fractures running along the moon's south pole, from which the geysers shoot out water vapor at 400 meters per second (800 mph). The geysers added evidence that there may be liquid water under the icy crust of Enceladus.
Also, new heat maps of Enceladus taken by Cassini show higher temperatures in the south pole region, and hot tracks running along the fractures (see image at right). The strips of warmth, also called "tiger stripes," are giant fissures that are the source of the geysers.
The surprising thing about all this news was that the material coming from the inside of Enceladus resembles that of a comet. The Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer aboard the Cassini spacecraft saw a combination of volatile gases, water vapor, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and organic materials. It seems that all of these materials are pointing ton one thing: life. However, the final ingredient, liquid water, has not been confirmed yet.
All of these developments may lead to more information about the formation and composition of Saturn and its moons.
For more information:
- An animation of the jets on Enceladus (requires Quicktime).
- NASA Mission News (1, 2).
- Wikipedia (Cassini, Enceladus).
- Amazing Enceladus Images
Image of plume from far away. In my previous post Happy Halloween from Cassini Spacecraft Team i mentioned about Cassini spacecraft going to the Moon of Saturn, Enceladus on 2th November, 2009. Cassini has captured some amazing images of the plumes...
- Happy Halloween From Cassini Spacecraft Team
Cassini spacecraft team has wished every one Happy Halloween. Cassini spacecraft would be flying to the moon of Saturn, Enceladus on Nov 2, 2009 . Cassini will go deep into the moon of Saturn....
- Ammonia On Saturn's Moon
NASA's Cassini spacecraft has revealed the presence of ammonia on Saturn's icy moon Enceladus. If there is an underground ocean on Enceladus, then ammonia would be vital to it. Ammonia acts as an antifreeze, allowing water to remain liquid at...
- Possible Salty Ocean Hidden In Depths Of Saturn Moon
NASA?s Cassini spacecraft has provided strong evidence that Saturn?s moon Enceladus harbours a salty ocean below its icy shell, a discovery that offers exciting possibilities in the search for extraterrestrial life. Following a flyby of Saturn?s enigmatic...
- "mission Accomplished, But New Questions Await!"
That's what NASA is announcing about their Cassini mission. Today, on June 30, Cassini is ending its primary mission, lasting for four years. But Cassini is not done with Saturn and its moons. There is still much too left to learn about Saturn, and...