The geysers of Enceladus: a clue to possible life on Saturn's moon?


Controversy rages as to whether the saltwater geysers on the surface of Saturn's moon Enceladus mean that it might have a potentially life-bearing ocean under all that ice, as astronomers suspect Jupiter's moon Europa- and perhaps also Ganymede and Callisto- may have.

We're talking about a really, really huge distance from old Sol here. The theory is that the metallic cores of moons orbiting gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn experience huge tidal pulls by both the planets they orbit and other passing moons. This, astronomers theorize, could generate heat much the same way rapidly bending a paper clip warms the medal- perhaps enough to make it possible for life to gain a foothold.

So is the geyser portrayed in the picture evidence of potential life, or just "Cold Faithful?" The jury is out.

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