Name: Could This Icy Moon’s Ocean Support Life?
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Enceladus has jets rich in phosphates and likely hydrothermal vents in its ocean. With the key ingredients for life on its surface, the moon may serve as an incubator for life.

Hydrothermal vents in Enceladus’ ocean may hold the promise of life.

Could This Icy Moon’s Ocean Support Life?

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Enceladus has jets rich in phosphates and likely hydrothermal vents in its ocean. With the key ingredients for life on its surface, the moon may serve as an incubator for life.

Hydrothermal vents in Enceladus’ ocean may hold the promise of life.

Space & Flight

Could This Icy Moon’s Ocean Support Life?Published: November 10, 2024Speaker 1: I think the chances are pretty high that there are hydrothermal vents at the bottom of Enceladus Ocean. Just like Earth's Ocean, Enceladus Ocean sits right on top of its rocky mantle.Speaker 2: And with probable hydrothermal vents, an exciting possibility for life.Speaker 3: We think that life could have originated on earth in hydrothermal vents, and these hydrothermal vents have those ingredients that are essential for life.Speaker 2: And it isn't just the possibility of heat that makes Enceladus a compelling incubator for life.Speaker 4: There are three key ingredients to a habitable environment: liquid water, chemical nutrients, and an energy source to use. And now we know that Enceladus has all three within its ocean.Speaker 1: A 2023 study showed that Enceladus jets have phosphates in them anywhere from a hundred to a thousand times the amount of phosphates that we find in Earth's. Phosphates, we know, are a key component of DNA, which is the building block of life.Speaker 3: Does that mean that we found life? Well, we don't know. Just because we found phosphate, it's a potential ingredient, but it's not a slam dunk. And so we need to go back and really explore in more detail to see what is the origin of this phosphate?

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Could This Icy Moon’s Ocean Support Life?

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