Enceladus | Universe Today

Enceladus, Moon, Saturn

February 26th, 2010

More Jaw-Droppers from Cassini

The small moon Janus is almost hidden between the planet's rings and the larger moon Rhea.Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

The Cassini mission keeps churning out the hits, and here's a collection of some of the latest stunning images released by the CICLOPS (Cassini Imaging for Central Operations) team. Above, the small moon Janus is almost hidden between the planet's rings and the larger moon Rhea. The northern part of Janus can be seen peeking above the rings in this image of a "mutual event" where Janus (179 kilometers, 111 miles across) moved past Rhea (1,528 kilometers, 949 miles across). Mutual event observations such as this one, in which one moon passes close to or in front of another, help scientists refine their understanding of the orbits of Saturn's moons. Click here to see a movie of the event.
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February 23rd, 2010

Cassini Finds "Heat" and More Geysers on Enceladus

Newly released images from last November's close flyby over Saturn's icy moon Enceladus the Cassini spacecraft reveal geyser jets spraying all along the prominent fractures, or "tiger stripes" that cross the moon's south polar region. Additionally, a new detailed temperature map of one fracture reveals warmer temperatures than what was expected. "Enceladus continues to astound," said Bob Pappalardo, Cassini project scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "With each Cassini flyby, we learn more about its extreme activity and what makes this strange moon tick."
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January 18th, 2010

Are We Just 'Lucky' to See Activity on Enceladus?

Caption: Geysers on Enceladus. Credit: NASA, JPL, Space Science Institute

One of the most exciting but unexpected discoveries of the Cassini mission is seeing the activity taking place on Saturn's small moon Enceladus. Between the active geysers, the unusual "tiger stripes" and the surprisingly young surface near the moon's south pole, Enceladus has surprised scientists with almost all the images and data the gathered by the spacecraft. But is the moon always active, or are we just in the right place at the right time, lucky to be catching it during an active phase? A recent paper outlines a model in which the kind of geologic eruptions now visible on Enceladus only occur every billion years or so.
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July 22nd, 2009

Mystery Solved? New Clues Point to a Liquid Ocean on Enceladus.

Chemical composition of the plume on Enceladus, as reported in Nature. Credit: CICLOPS

A liquid plume is spewing from Saturn's icy moon Enceladus — but is it coming from heated ice on the surface, or a liquid ocean underneath?

Analysis of the plume's chemistry, detailed in the Cassini (CICLOPS) image above and reported in Nature this week, may put the debate to rest.

Does Enceladus Harbor a Liquid Ocean? Reasonable Minds Disagree

Image of Enceladus from Cassini. Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

Two papers in the journal Nature this week come down on opposite sides of the question about whether Saturn's moon Enceladus contains a salty, liquid ocean.

One research team, from Europe, says an enormous plume of water spurting in giant jets from the moon's south pole is fed by a salty ocean. The other group, led out of the University of Colorado at Boulder, contends that the supposed geysers don't have enough sodium to come from an ocean. The truth could have implications for the search for extraterrestrial life, as well as our understanding of how planetary moons are formed.

Book Your Tours of Titan and Enceladus Today!

Now's the time to book your Cassini tour!

Looking to go somewhere far-flung and exotic? Now is the time to book your excursion, and the Cassini spacecraft has several flyby tours of the moons Titan and Enceladus scheduled for the next few months. Major tour operators say the cost of long-haul flights and summer holidays prices are at an all time low. But with Cassini, you can travel for FREE! just by following the along with Universe Today and the Cassini website. Thrill with some of the closest flybys ever of the mystery moon Titan, and delight in explorations of the geyser plumes of Enceladus. As a special bonus, if you book today, you can experience Saturn's solar equinox, as in August the sun crosses from the southern hemisphere to the north. Wonderful worlds are beckoning – come away starting June 6 with Cassini! It's a worry free vacation. See below for available tour dates! Destination fees do not apply.
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April 29th, 2009

Salt in Enceladus' Geysers Hints at Subsurface Liquid Ocean

Enceladus Ice Geysers Credit: Cassini Imaging Team, SSI, JPL, ESA, NASA

Planetary scientists say the geysers shooting from Saturn's moon Enceladus are likely to come from a subsurface sea of liquid water. During the Cassini spacecraft's fly-through of the geyser's plume on October 9, 2008, the instruments on board were able to measure the molecular weight of the chemicals in the ice. Detected were traces of sodium in the form of salt and sodium bicarbonate. The chemicals would have originated in the rocky core of Enceladus, so to reach a plume they must have leached from the core via liquid water.
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Enceladus | Universe Today

Enceladus, Moon, Saturn

More Jaw-Droppers from Cassini

Cassini Finds "Heat" and More Geysers on Enceladus

Are We Just 'Lucky' to See Activity on Enceladus?

Mystery Solved? New Clues Point to a Liquid Ocean on Enceladus.

Does Enceladus Harbor a Liquid Ocean? Reasonable Minds Disagree

Book Your Tours of Titan and Enceladus Today!

Salt in Enceladus' Geysers Hints at Subsurface Liquid Ocean

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