Enceladus South

[n2doc]

A mosaic made from raw images from Cassini, taken on December 21, 2010, shows a detailed look at the south pole of Enceladus. Craters, "tiger stripe" fractures and corrugated terrain can all be seen here, although the moon's signature ice geysers are not visible in this exposure.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lightsinthedark/5313289561/in/photostream/

[azurnoir]

1. K&R

Isn't that the moon of Saturn that has water ice?

[TheMadMonk]

3. IS water ice is a better description.

Look at the "weathered" appearance of the craters on what is an airless moon.

Look at how little plastic deformation there is about the rims.

A meteorite hitting ice would do all the usual things: Vapourise, melt, pulverise and of course distribute the result over the landscape.

However, water's low viscosity would serve to collapse the pulverised ice pushed up into the crater walls almost back to the level of the surrounding terrain. Then as it flowed back before refreezing, it would wipe out the central peak of the crater.

[Peace Patriot]

2. Sure looks bleak--as does Rhea (photos also at that page).

However, we don't know what may lay beneath these icy surfaces and, until recently, had no concept of "extremophiles"--life at extremes of high and low temperatures, or that produces energy without sunlight, and so on. The known possibilities for life have greatly expanded. Our moon looked bleak upon first inspection. Now we find out it has water. Why aren't we there with a colony right now? So stupid!

These photos are stunning, even if they don't look terribly hospitable.