Briny Breath of Enceladus

NASA's Cassini has found salt in Saturn's E ring, hinting that the moon Encelaus could have an underground liquid reservoir, perhaps even an ocean.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Keywords:
• Cassini
• Enceladus
• Europa
• Titan
• Callisto
• Ganymede
• icy
• moons
• salt
• sodium
• water
• subsurface
• ocean
• Saturn
• NASA
• JPL

[950horsepower]

I understand. I suppose a lot of people would be hugely impressed by the discovery of a recognizable life form. I would not be so impressed. Or even encouraged. We may very well discover that there is evidence of rudimentary biological activity practically everywhere, even in the most hostile environments. Then it becomes like the pyramids. It is there, but it is not profound until we understand why. And that mystery will be speculative for a very long time after the discovery.

[fabiocool874]

i dont believe Enceladus have fishs or some other "BIG" animals but some kind of bacteria .why not?

If these planet have rly liquid water the probability of life are great (i think)

I need to know if liquid water can by nothing create life.

Sry about the english.

[950horsepower]

Why do you believe that? If it is there, it will wait. Life in these exotic environments is unlikely, and would be I think, extremely tenuous. Aggressive probativity could obliterate life that exists only within very tiny margins of tolerance. Protecting it is at least as important as finding it in my opinion.

I hope it is not there. Since we have yet to learn to protect life on earth. The less we find out there, the more precious it is here.

SETI has still found nothing.

[Saukko31]

It isn't confirmed, at least in large quantities. Probes have detected that there is possible to have ice on Moon's poles.

LCROSS (which was launched with Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) will attempt to directly detect it, by impacting its rocket stage on the site and flying through the cloud. We shall see.

[950horsepower]

Ok, your average tuber wouldn't know that. I just like to know I'm conversing with someone who has a brain.

I am unclear as to how underground water was found, or confirmed on the Moon. I had assumed that it would be a byproduct of lunar extraction of AL and Si.

[950horsepower]

Help me out here, the sodium chloride makes the water more visible to instrumentation? Or keeps it liquid.

[MrGabrielmichas]

We have NaCl, that's why we can see it that way.

[Saukko31]

Liquid water vaporizes, ice stays or slowly sublimes. So?

Lunar ice is underground (or at least I haven't heard that it has been found on surface).

[950horsepower]

A minor distinction.

Question:

What happens to water in a vacuum?

[fabiocool874]

i believe that Enceladus have some kind of life. We need to know that fast!!