Enceladus Archives

NASA/ESA/CSA's James Webb Space Telescope’s exquisite sensitivity and highly specialised instruments are revealing details into how one of Saturn’s moon’s feeds the water supply for the entire system of the ringed planet. Larger image -- ESA/NASA

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Icy Worlds, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Webb Space Telescope Maps Surprisingly Large Plume Jetting From Saturn’s Moon Enceladus

by Keith CowingMay 30, 2023May 30, 2023

A water vapour plume from Saturn’s moon Enceladus spanning more than 9600 kilometres — long enough to stretch across the Eurasian continent from Ireland to Japan — has been detected […]

Sonar image of bubble plumes at Pythia’s Oasis. This is a perspective view looking northeast at the bubble plumes rising above Pythia’s Oasis, imaged during a 2018 transect onboard the R/V Revelle using a Kongsberg EM122 multibeam sonar. The hydroacoustic data were filtered using Fledermaus Midwater and reveal gas bubbles rising >500 m into the overlying ocean (image is 2× vertically exaggerated). The bathymetry shown here was collected onboard the R/V Thompson in 2015 and has been gridded at 20-m horizontal resolution.

Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Pythia’s Oasis Has Warm liquid Spewing From The Seafloor Offering Clues To Earthquake Hazards

by Keith CowingApril 11, 2023April 11, 2023

Editor’s note: Pythia’s Oasis is a newly-discovered seafloor seep off the coast of Oregon featuring water with a unique composition from an exceptionally deep location inside Earth. A varied ecosystem […]

Image of the snailfish alive from 7500-8200m in the Izu-Ogasawara Trench. -- University of Western Australia

Analog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Enceladus, Europa, Ganymede, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Away Team Discovers Earth’s Deepest Fish

by Keith CowingApril 4, 2023April 4, 2023

Editor’s note: as we explore the extreme depth’s of Earth’s oceans we are also developed the skills we will need to explore the oceans of Europa, Enceladus, Ganymede etc. in […]

Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Exploration Gear & Tech, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Tricorders & Sensors

Away Team Droids: Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor (EELS)

by Keith CowingMarch 20, 2023March 20, 2023

The EELS system is a mobile instrument platform conceived to explore internal terrain structures, assess habitability and ultimately search for evidence of life. It is designed to be adaptable to […]

View of our container from Neumayer Station, the antenna dome (radome) and the Polar 5 aircraft Credit: DLR/RWTH Aachen/Dirk Heinen

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Cryobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Exploration Gear & Tech, Icy Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Away Team Update: DLR TRIPLE-IceCraft Expedition To Antarctica Part 3

by Keith CowingMarch 5, 2023March 27, 2023

The seventh day of our Antarctic expedition to test the TRIPLE-IceCraft melting probe begins for me and all the new arrivals in our segregated living area: our joint COVID-19 test […]

We have moved into the front orange cabin Credit: DLR/RWTH Aachen/Dirk Heinen

Away Team Update: DLR TRIPLE-IceCraft Expedition To Antarctica Part 2

by Keith CowingMarch 4, 2023March 3, 2023

At the time of our arrival at Neumayer Station III. Technically it is morning, but the long journey has messed up my internal clock.

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Enceladus, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Could Life Be Found On Saturn’s Moon Enceladus?

by Keith CowingMarch 3, 2023March 3, 2023

What can we learn about NASA Cassini spacecraft’s discovery of tiny particles from the icy ocean of Saturn’s moon Enceladus? What is causing these nanometer-sized silica grains to rise up […]

Well-equipped for icy temperatures – us in polar clothing Credit: DLR/RWTH Aachen/Dirk Heinen

Away Team Update: DLR TRIPLE-IceCraft Expedition To Antarctica Part 1

by Keith CowingMarch 3, 2023March 3, 2023

Some regions on Earth are as mysterious as distant celestial bodies – but equally explored. These include subglacial lakes in Antarctica. These lakes lie under a permanent layer of ice, […]

Cryobiology, Enceladus, Icy Worlds, Press Release

Understanding The Structure Of Enceladus’ Ice Shell

by Keith CowingFebruary 24, 2023February 24, 2023

Enceladus is a dynamic icy moon of Saturn and a leading target for future planetary missions focused on the search for life beyond Earth.

Astrogeology, Enceladus, Icy Worlds, Press Release

How Enceladus Ejects Particles From Oceans Beneath Its Surface

by Keith CowingFebruary 23, 2023February 23, 2023

Although it is relatively small, Enceladus — the sixth largest of Saturn’s 83 moons — has been considered by astronomers to be one of the more compelling bodies in our […]