Enceladus
New simulations using supercomputers have shown that Enceladus, a moon of Saturn, loses 20 to 40 percent less mass from its icy plumes than previously estimated. Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin analyzed data from NASA's Cassini mission to model the plumes' behavior. These findings could inform future missions probing the moon's subsurface ocean for signs of life.
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The subsurface ocean on Saturn’s moon Enceladus appears stable over geological timescales, enhancing its potential as a habitat for extraterrestrial life. New analysis of Cassini spacecraft data reveals heat emissions from the moon’s north pole that balance the ocean’s energy input. This stability provides the long-term conditions necessary for life to evolve.