Geyser-Like Emissions from Moon of Saturn Raising Questions
The normal temperature on the outside of Enceladus is thought to be about -300 degrees Fahrenheit, certainly too cold for any living organism. The inside of the planet is what is causing the recent speculation.
The theory on how the inside of Enceladus became warm enough to have liquid water is complicated. There is no doubt that water is being shot out of the surface of Enceladus, but there are questions surrounding how that water got there and how deep from the inside of the moon it is coming from.
One theory is that the moon used to have radioactive materials that have since decayed. When radioactive materials decay, heat is produced. This is what is thought to have caused the warm inner climate of Enceladus according to some scientists. The water is believed to be extremely close to the surface of Enceladus, thus making living organisms possible. Though the chances are slim, it is still worth investigating.
There is some opposition, however, to this idea. The other theory is that buried clathrates, complex molecular structures, are frozen below the surface of Enceladus and when enough is melted into liquid; it is expelled from the surface. The scientists that support this theory believe that the ice is much too deep into Enceladus for living organisms to be possible.
There are to be more studies of Enceladus to be done in the near future as this matter is very exciting not only to those involved, but to the general public. People like to hear about the possibility of life on other planets, even if it is not yet totally proven. Many similar questions of possible outer space life forms have been raised with no definitive answer on whether or not such life exists. NASA is going to capture some of the vapor from these geyser type emissions and analyze them for further clues as to their origins. The findings should provide a good look into the inner workings of Enceladus.
The Cassini spacecraft is still in orbit around the rings of Saturn where it has been since 2004. The project is collaboration between NASA, and the Italian and European Space Agencies.
Cited:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2944860&page=2
http://science.andnetwork.com/index?service=direct/1/Home/recent.fullStory&sp=l235520
Published by Nate D.
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