Scientists have uncovered new evidence that Saturn's moon Enceladus may be one of the solar system's most promising candidates for extraterrestrial life. According to a study published in Nature Astronomy cited by the New York Post, researchers from the University of Stuttgart analyzed ice grains ejected from Enceladus' surface cracks, using data originally collected by NASA's Cassini spacecraft.
By studying these grains, which were blasted into space through geysers, the team identified complex organic molecules, including aromatics and ethers, as well as nitrogen-oxygen compounds. This chemical cocktail suggests that Enceladus' subsurface ocean could support ingredients considered essential for life. "There are many possible pathways from the organic molecules we found in the Cassini data to potentially biologically relevant compounds, which enhances the likelihood that the moon is habitable," study leader Nozair Khawaja explained, per ScienceAlert.
Enceladus, with temperatures that plunge to an average of minus 330 degrees Fahrenheit, doesn't seem hospitable at first glance. But since the discovery of a hidden ocean beneath its icy shell in 2005, the moon has drawn interest as a potential incubator for life. Cassini's high-speed pass through the moon's geyser plumes in 2008 allowed scientists to detect these previously hidden molecules, which hadn't been altered by cosmic radiation.
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With five of life's key elements now identified on Enceladus—salts, hydrogen, phosphates, and the newly found organics—only sulfur is missing from the checklist. The researchers emphasize that while the compounds found aren't direct signs of biology, the researchers believe they're precursors that are "part of a chain of chemical reactions that result in life," per the Post, similar to what's found in Earth's deep-sea hydrothermal systems.
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