Tag

Plume

All articles tagged with #plume

Possible Life on Saturn Moon Enceladus: New Evidence Found.
science2 years ago

Possible Life on Saturn Moon Enceladus: New Evidence Found.

Scientists from Southwest Research Institute have found more indications of possible life on Enceladus, a moon of Saturn. Observations using the James Webb Space Telescope have strengthened suspicions that the moon could support life due to its stable environment and the presence of a massive plume of water vapor that feeds the water supply for Saturn and its moons. The team plans to search for specific indicators of habitability, such as organic compounds, in future observations. NASA's Webb telescope will serve as the primary observation tool for Enceladus.

JWST Discovers Massive Plume from Enceladus's Geysers.
space2 years ago

JWST Discovers Massive Plume from Enceladus's Geysers.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has revealed the water plume from Enceladus's geysers is much bigger than previously thought, with the size of an outburst recorded as "immense". The discovery of geysers near the south pole of Saturn’s moon Enceladus rocketed the previously low-profile satellite to the top of planetary scientists’ priority list. The JWST's images could reveal something of the plume’s composition, potentially even including biosignatures.

JWST discovers massive plume erupting from Saturn's moon.
space2 years ago

JWST discovers massive plume erupting from Saturn's moon.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has detected a massive plume of water vapour spraying from Saturn's moon Enceladus, which could contain the chemical ingredients of life. The plume is much larger than previously thought and is a direct link to the potential extraterrestrial ecosystem in Enceladus's subsurface ocean. JWST's sensitive instruments captured faint gas signals around Enceladus, revealing evidence of many chemicals, including water and possibly other compounds that could hint at geological or biological activity in the moon's ocean. Researchers are already planning how to follow up on the discovery, including another project to study Enceladus for six times longer than the first JWST study.