An Ocean Flows Under Saturn's Icy Moon Enceladus
A science Article Analysis Based on the Article
Date of article publication: September 17, 2015
Author: Nola Taylor Redd
Analysis by: Jessica Vela
Author: Nola Taylor Redd
Analysis by: Jessica Vela
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This particular science article talks about one of Saturn’s many moons, Enceladus, which has captivated the attention of many scientists due to the discovery of underground water the below the surface of the moon. NASA’s Cassini space probe satellite has captivated the liquid geysers that were seen erupt from the surface of the moon’s south pole, which scientists have now confirmed to come from the source of an active underwater world beneath an icy crust. The surprise of liquid emerging from this celestial body in space contains evidence that there is an underwater source of water, though at first scientist were not sure if the source of water was an underground global ocean or if there was just a concentrated water pool at the south pole of the moon. The most important question was: how did the moon get the water it contains? The Cassini satellite detected the icy plumes in the southern hemisphere which were derived from long fractured lines of the surface called “tiger stripes.” Scientists have figured that as Enceladus orbits around Saturn, its orbit and the force of gravity creates tension between the planet and the moon resulting in the moon to wobble, slightly stretching and pulling it apart. The friction of the movement inside the rocky core generates heat that start to melt the ice above it. Sloshing of the inner ice that starts to melt has cracked four parallel lines in the south pole of the moon and sends geysers off into the atmosphere when the gravitational pull on Enceladus is stronger. The liquid ejected is proof that the moon is not just solid ice. The proposed theory that an ocean lies beneath all the surface of the moon supports the measurements of the wobble due to gravity, if there was no ocean underneath it, the wobble would be smaller than it actually is. The discovery of water in another part of the solar system excites astronomers who are looking for signs of life elsewhere in the universe.
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The article was picked for two main reasons. The first reason is due to the importance of the having found water on another body in the solar system besides planet earth. As a living species, specifically humans, but other life forms on the planet as well, oxygen and water are essential to our survival. Though there is no oxygen on Enceladus and the conditions on the moon are too extreme for humans to adapt to it, containing water already makes the moon important as science tries to understand how the right conditions for life must take place, including the right conditions for the existence of water that contributes to keep us alive. The article was also picked for the significant fact of possible life forms that may exist due to the underground ocean. Many of the first microscopic organism on planet earth were formed billions of years ago before the planet was actually habitable. Although Enceladus is a moon, not a planet, it is still going through evolution and the existence of water below its surface mixed with any other chemicals that originate from within or are created with reactions inside could potentially form microorganisms which means signs of life elsewhere besides earth.
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The discovery of water below the surface of Enceladus is important to the world of today as one of the most asked questions of humanity as a whole could potentially ask about the existence of life elsewhere in the universe. More in depth studies that are essential for the world of today to continue to pursue could discover if there are any other type of organisms that could have already been formed in places that contain water, who could evolve to a more complex species like us or any other marine animal if water is one of their sources of life. The present world needs to have an open science view beyond the planet we live on, focusing on the world outside home, especially as civilization progresses towards the future. One never knows, we could potentially end up moving to another planet in the future, but before that, it is necessary to find places similar to earth that contain elements needed for survival, one of them being water which is now found on Enceladus.
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Work Cited
“An Ocean Flows Under Saturn's Icy Moon Enceladus.” LiveScience.com. Web. 25 Sep. 2015. <http://m.livescience.com/52208-saturn-moon-enceladus-has-ocean.html>
*The sources used only for the pictures are viewed by clicking on each picture.
“An Ocean Flows Under Saturn's Icy Moon Enceladus.” LiveScience.com. Web. 25 Sep. 2015. <http://m.livescience.com/52208-saturn-moon-enceladus-has-ocean.html>
*The sources used only for the pictures are viewed by clicking on each picture.