Yet another key ingredient in the recipe for biological life has been found on Saturn’s icy moon, Enceladus, a chemical compound that, in addition to being a potential energy source for primitive organisms, could also act as a basis for the formation of organic molecules that are essential for the formationread more
Ever since a massive subsurface ocean was discovered under the ice on Saturn’s moon Enceladus, scientists have sought to uncover the reason behind the existence of liquid water on a world that should be frozen solid. However, a new study not only illustrates what may be the mechanism behind the presence of Enceladus’ liquid water, but also that the process has been going on for billions of years — more than long enough for life to gain a foothold there.
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NASA has announced that they have confirmation that Saturn’s moon Enceladus has a food source that could support potential microbial lifeforms. This crucial ingredient accompanies Enceladus’ grocery list of elements needed to support life: carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, organic molecules, and of course, liquid water.
"Almost all of the conditions that astrobiologists have identified for habitability are present on Enceladus: water, organics, and a chemical energy source," explains Hunter Waite, from the Southwest Research Institute. "The only things that are left on the checklist are phosphorus or sulfur."
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