Water in Saturn's moon

A pleasant surprise from Saturn’s moon

— Photo: NASA 
 
Geyser-like eruptions of ice particles and water vapour from Saturn’s moon Enceladus.

WASHINGTON: Astronomers looking at the spectacular supersonic plumes of gas and dust shooting off one of Saturn’s moons have said there are strong hints of liquid water, a key building block of life.

Their research, appearing in Thursday’s issue of the journal Nature, adds to the growing push to explore further the moon Enceladus, as one of the solar system’s most compelling places for potential life.

Using images from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Cassini probe, astronomers had already figured that the mysterious plumes shooting from Enceladus’ icy terrain contain water vapour.

New calculations suggesting the gas and dust spew at speeds faster-than-sound make the case for liquid, said study lead author Candice Hansen of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.

Her team calculated that the plumes travel more than 2,176 kmph. Reaching that speed “is hard to do without liquids,” Ms. Hansen said.  more