Scientists from NASA report the discovery of new evidence of the existence on the icy moon of Saturn, Enceladus, conditions for supporting life. In the geysers erupting into space from the surface of the satellite, the researchers found hydrogen molecules. The presence of this chemical component may mean that it's time to "pack your bags" and go to Enceladus in search of extraterrestrial life, since the conditions on the satellite may well be suitable for the life of microbes.
“We have discovered some of the components needed to create a habitable environment. The available data provide compelling arguments in favor of the assumption of the existence of life on this satellite, - said Thomas Zurbuchin, assistant to the head of NASA.
For the new discovery, the Cassini spacecraft, which has been circling Saturn and Enceladus since 2004, should be thanked. Analysis of samples collected by Cassini two years ago, when it flew through the escaping geysers of Enceladus, showed the presence of hydrogen molecules, which, in turn, may hint at the presence of geothermal activity under the surface of the satellite's ice crust. Near the sources of terrestrial geysers, scientists also often find living organisms, so researchers suspect that the latter may also exist on Enceladus.
“We are not claiming that there is life on Enceladus. We're just saying that the new find only strengthens our belief in it,”explains Jonathan Lanin of the Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Sciences.
The assumption that the water under the icy surface of Enceladus is heated by the internal heat of the satellite circulates among the astronomical community has already been fairly given. And the discovery of hydrogen in the collected samples only confirms these guesses. This could be explained by the fact that in the bowels of Enceladus, most likely, a chemical reaction takes place between certain types of minerals and the result of these reactions is the production of hydrogen, which was discovered by Cassini.
The presence of hydrogen may also hint at the presence of methane beneath the satellite's surface, produced from carbon dioxide as part of the chemical process of methanogenesis. As scientists say, the presence of hydrogen and methanogenesis can provide food for the simplest microorganisms, as it happens on Earth. That is, the simplest life can exist on Enceladus.
However, at a press conference convened, NASA representatives also noted that the volumes of hydrogen that were detected on the satellite may also indicate that there may not really be so many microbes that could feed on it. Yet the undeniable fact, the researchers note, is that Enceladus has the necessary basic elements to support the simplest life.
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“The discovery of molecular hydrogen (H2) completes what I would call the basic set of components necessary for life as we know it: liquid water, organic molecules, minerals, and an available source of 'free' energy,” Lanin explains.
"The presence of H2 on Enceladus only reinforces interest in its further exploration and search for life."
It should be noted that the discoveries related to the Saturn system do not end there. Scientists working with the Hubble Space Telescope say they have found new evidence indicating that water geysers are also not uncommon on Europa, another moon of Saturn, making the moon an equally attractive target for exploration and search for life.
Let us remind that the operating time of "Cassini" is coming to an end, and in September of this year the orbital spacecraft will be directed into the atmosphere of Saturn, where it will end its existence.
NIKOLAY KHIZHNYAK