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Space scientists say their discoveries about Saturn's moon Enceladus are stunning, if just a little baffling. Using the instrument-packed Cassini probe, they have confirmed that the 500km-wide world has an atmosphere. They have also seen a "hotspot" at the icy moon's south pole, which is riven with cracks dubbed "tiger stripes".
2005-08-30
water ice Moon atmosphere Cassini Saturn Enceladus mirrorThe plumes of water that erupt from Saturn's icy satellite Enceladus can be traced back to a radioactive "meltdown" shortly after the moon formed. The discovery, in 2005, of water vapour spewing from geysers at Enceladus' south pole took scientists by surprise. How this tiny, ice-covered moon generated the amounts of heat needed to fuel these eruptions was a puzzle. Now scientists say a short-lived burst of...
2007-03-13
water ice Moon Cassini Saturn Enceladus Voyager 2The Cassini spacecraft has made its lowest pass yet over the south pole of Enceladus, an active moon of Saturn which may harbour a liquid water ocean. The flyby, at an altitude of 74km, allowed Cassini to "taste" the jets of ice and water vapour that gush from the moon's polar region. Several lines of evidence suggest these jets are fed by a liquid water ocean beneath Enceladus' outer icy shell.
2012-03-27
moon Cassini Saturn Enceladus water ocean freeze ice extraterrestrial life