By 
August 24th, 2016
The discovery of Enceladus’ icy jets and their role in creating Saturn’s E-ring is one of the leading discoveries of the Cassini mission to Saturn – now approaching two decades of lifetime. There is strong evidence of a global ocean and the first signs of potential hydrothermal activity beyond Earth – making this tiny Saturnian moon one of the leading locations in the search for possible life beyond Earth.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Thanks to a suite of scientific instruments and fly-by opportunities, NASA’s Cassini mission to Saturn has transformed our understanding of that far-off planet and its retinue of icy moons.
Active jets
For one, Saturn’s Enceladus is a mini-world of active jets – geyser-like phenomenon that shoots out water vapor and ice particles from an underground ocean beneath the moon’s icy crust.
Snagged by Cassini spacecraft, Saturn’s moon Enceladus is imaged backlit by the sun and shows the fountain-like sources of the fine spray of material that towers over its south polar region.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute
Due to those planetary skyworks, coupled with a global ocean, distinctive chemistry and internal heat, it’s no wonder Enceladus has become a magnet of interest in the search for worlds where life may well exist.
Logo of Germany’s Enceladus Explorer (EnEx) – Environmental Experimental Testing — project team at the University of Applied Sciences in Aachen, Germany. The initiative is studying technology for a potential lander mission on Enceladus, funded and managed by Germany’s DLR Space Administration and comprises several German universities.
Deep dive
For a deep dive story on Enceladus, go to my new Space.com story at:
Looking for Life on Saturn’s Moon Enceladus: Send a Flyby or Lander?
August 24, 2016 06:00 am ET
http://www.space.com/33835-saturn-moon-enceladus-alien-life-search.html
Also, take a look at this impressive video via Vimeo, credit WOW Inc.
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