Salt Discovered in Saturn's Outermost Ring

For the first time, scientists working on NASA’s Cassini mission have detected sodium salts in ice grains of Saturn’s outermost ring. Detecting salty ice indicates that Saturn’s moon Enceladus, which primarily replenishes the ring with material from discharging jets, could harbor a reservoir of liquid water — perhaps an ocean — beneath its surface.

Cassini discovered the water-ice jets in 2005 on Enceladus. These jets expel tiny ice grains and vapor, some of which escape the moon’s gravity and form Saturn’s outermost ring. Cassini’s cosmic dust analyzer has examined the composition of those grains and found salt within...

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Source: [NASA Press Release]

June 24, 2009 / Posted by: Daniella Scalice

The Ions and Isoptopes of Enceladus

Cassini will fly within 16 miles of Enceladus’ surface to measure molecules in the Saturnian moon’s environment. The data will provide insight into the early history of the solar system.

Source: [Astrobiology Magazine]

Ocean on Enceladus May Be Short-Lived

Three years ago, surprising evidence came out for an ocean underneath the surface of Saturn’s moon Enceladus. But a new report indicates just how hard it may be to keep water from freezing on this tiny moon.

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Source: [Astrobiology Magazine]

June 19, 2008 / Written by: Michel Schirber

Organics Erupting from Enceladus

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft “tasted” and sampled a surprising organic brew erupting in geyser-like fashion from Saturn’s moon Enceladus during a close flyby on March 12. Scientists are amazed that this tiny moon is so active, “hot,” and brimming with water vapor and organic chemicals.

March 27, 2008 / Posted by: Daniella Scalice

Explore Enceladus...Online!

This new web interactive from NASA’s Cassini mission features dazzling new imagery of Saturn’s moon Enceladus. It details the discovery of the plumes of ice particles and water vapor erupting from the surface and extending hundreds of kilometers into space. These plumes have put Enceladus on the map as an object of astrobiological study; the Cassini spacecraft just completed a specialized fly-through to get a closer look.

March 25, 2008 / Posted by: Daniella Scalice

Signs of Ocean Beneath Titan's Crust?

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has discovered evidence that points to the existence of an underground ocean of water and ammonia on Saturn’s moon Titan. The Cassini science team detail their findings in this week’s Science, explaining that radar mapping of Titan revealed a shift in landmarks on the moon’s surface of up to 30 kilometers between October 2004 and May 2007. The best explanation, they say, is an underground ocean that disconnects Titan’s icy crust from its rocky interior.

March 25, 2008 / Posted by: Daniella Scalice

Cassini Flies Through Watery Plumes of Enceladus

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft performed a daring flyby of Saturn’s moon Enceladus on Wed., March 12, flying about 15 kilometers per second (32,000 mph) through icy water geyser-like jets. The spacecraft snatched up precious samples that might point to a water ocean or organics inside the little moon.

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Hydrocarbons on Saturn's Moon Hyperion

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has revealed for the first time surface details of Saturn’s moon Hyperion, including cup-like craters filled with hydrocarbons that may indicate more widespread presence in our solar system of basic chemicals necessary for life.

Source: [Link]

August 6, 2007 / Posted by: Shige Abe

Earth's Future Glimpsed on Titan

The enigmatic Saturnian moon Titan is still yielding surprising new details years after scientists first pierced its thick haze veil. The vision now emerging of Saturn’s largest moon, with its giant dunes and oceanless surface, is perhaps a glimpse of Earth’s desert future. Space.com has the story…

Source: [Link]

June 12, 2007 / Posted by: Shige Abe

NASA's Cassini Spacecraft Images Seas on Titan

Instruments on NASA’s Cassini spacecraft have found evidence for seas, likely filled with liquid methane or ethane, in the high northern latitudes of Saturn’s moon Titan. One such feature is larger than any of the Great Lakes of North America and is about the same size as several seas on Earth.

Source: [Link]

March 14, 2007 / Posted by: Shige Abe

A Deeper Look into the Watery Plumes of Enceladus

NASA astrobiologists are hard at work examining the nature of the plumes of water vapor recently discovered on Saturn’s moon Enceladus. If a new geological theory about the plumes, published in this week’s Nature, proves to be correct, it would preclude the existence of a subsurface ocean on the moon. The theory is testable with existing data from NASA’s Cassini mission…

Source: [Link]

June 5, 2006 / Posted by: Shige Abe

Titanic Moon: Orange Soup from Saturnian Turn

Researchers for the NASA Astrobiology Institute and Penn State have recently developed a new method that has improved our understanding of Titan’s atmospheric chemistry.

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December 19, 2000 / Posted by: Shige Abe