Saturn's Enceladus Spewing Geysers of "Primordial Organic Brew"

[n2doc]

Last March the Cassini spacecraft tasted and sampled a surprising organic brew erupting in geyser-like fashion not from Yellowstone National Park, but from Saturn's moon Enceladus during a close flyby on 12 March. Scientists are amazed that this tiny moon is so active, ‘hot’ and brimming with water vapour and organic chemicals.

Heat maps of the surface show higher temperatures than previously known in the south polar region, with hot tracks running the length of giant fissures. Additionally, scientists say the organics ‘taste and smell’ like some of those found in a comet. The jets themselves harmlessly peppered Cassini, exerting measurable torque on the spacecraft, and providing an indirect measure of the plume density.

"A completely unexpected surprise is that the chemistry of Enceladus, what's coming out from inside, resembles that of a comet," said Hunter Waite, principal investigator for the Cassini Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. "To have primordial material coming out from inside a Saturn moon raises many questions on the formation of the Saturn system."

"Enceladus is by no means a comet. Comets have tails and orbit the sun, and Enceladus's activity is powered by internal heat while comet activity is powered by sunlight. Enceladus's brew is like carbonated water with an essence of natural gas," said Waite.

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http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2011/02/saturns-enceladus-spewing-geysers-of-primordial-organic-brew.html

[Deep13]

1. Awesome...

also, that's a great name for a local beer, Primordial Organic Brew.

[damntexdem]

2. Brew? But I thought that in the heavens there was no beer!

;-)

[CrossChris]

3. Mmmmm....organic brew....

<drool>

[salinen]

4. So

"Enceladus's brew is like carbonated water with an essence of natural gas. I know exactly what that is, my dog does it all the time. Farts.

[AlecBGreen]

5. Fascinating!

Given what we know, I would not doubt that life could arise on Enceladus. I also think there must be some form of life on here that could survive those conditions. Lunar bioseeding anyone?