The outer planets of the Solar System are swarmed by ice-wrapped moons. Some of these, such as Saturn’s moon Enceladus, are known to have oceans of liquid water between the […]
Enceladus
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Enceladus, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Saturn, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Cassini Study Found Organics From An Ocean Inside Enceladus
NASA’s Cassini spacecraft captured dramatic plumes, both large and small, spray water ice out from many locations along the famed ‘tiger stripes’ near the south pole of Saturn’s moon Enceladus.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Sample Return, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Sample Preparation for MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry of Model Prebiotic Reactions in Simulated Ocean World Environments
The prebiotic potential of ocean worlds such as Europa and Enceladus, while not well constrained, is vital in the search for potential life elsewhere.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Habitable Zones, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Geochemical Mobility of Elements in Antarctic Environments Affected by CO2-Rich Hydrothermal Fluids: Astrobiological Implications
Hydrothermal systems are widespread in our solar system. Identification of alteration mineral assemblages on Mars and potentially in ocean worlds such as Enceladus suggests the existence of extensive hydrothermal fluid-igneous […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Enceladus, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Enceladus May Host A Stable Ocean Fit For Life, New Study Finds
A new study led by researchers from Oxford University and Southwest Research Institute and the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona has provided the first evidence of significant heat flow […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Icy Worlds, Status Report, Titan, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
How Does Ice Shell Geometry Shape Ocean Dynamics On Icy Moons?
A poleward-thinning ice shell can drive circulation in the subsurface oceans of icy moons by imposing a meridional temperature gradient–colder at the equator than the pole–through the freezing point suppression […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Status Report, Video, Audio, Webcasts, Podcasts
Europlanet Webinar: Cassini Detects Organic Compounds in the Fresh Plume of Enceladus
5 November 2025 at 11:00 CET (10:00 UTC) Speaker: Thomas O’Sullivan, FU Berlin
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Spatiotemporal Impacts of Enceladus- and Earth-relevant Ammonia Gas On Cultivation of Extremophile Halomonas meridiana
One underexplored aspect of microbial growth is the impact of toxic gases transported through the atmosphere. Ammonia is a gas that can supply essential nitrogen but also exert cellular toxicity.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Enceladus, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Radiation, Saturn, Status Report
Water-group Ion Irradiation Studies Of Enceladus Ice Analogues: Can Radiolysis Account For Material In And Around The South Polar Plume?
Saturn’s magnetosphere contains trapped plasma and energetic charged particles which constantly irradiate the surface of Enceladus.
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Ceres, Enceladus, Europa, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Microstructure Controls Sublimation Timescales of Exposed Salt-Rich Ices on Icy Worlds
Salt-rich water ice at the surfaces of icy worlds, for example, Europa, Enceladus, and Ceres, is of particular interest for Solar System exploration as it can represent a record of […]