New analysis of data gathered by the NASA Cassini mission reveals
undetected organic compounds on Saturnโs Moon.
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Saturnโs Moon appeared first on Orbital Today.
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#^Study On NASA Cassini Lead To Discovery Of Organics From Saturnโs Moon
Back in 2008, the NASA Cassini mission collected samples of icy material from Saturnโs moon Enceladus and returned them to Earth. A few months ago, some researchers analysed the samples and found evidence of organic compounds that had gone undetected for years.
A Study Into The Samples Collected From Saturnโs Moon
The samples from Saturnโs moon collected by the NASA Cassini mission were icy water sprayed from plumes along Enceladus. The ice water ejected from the plumes comes from the ocean beneath the frozen shell of Enceladus.
After analysing the sample, researchers found organic compounds that have gone undetected over the years. In addition to this discovery, the researchers also found new organic compounds which point to ongoing chemical or biological activity under Enceladusโ frozen shell.
The researchers suspect that the chemical or biological activity going on under Enceladusโ frozen shell might be similar to some here on Earth. This means that there is a chance that the conditions in the ocean under Encaladusโ frozen shell might be able to support life.
Nozair Khawaja of Freie University, Berlin and lead author of the study, says, โPreviously, we detected organics in ice grains that were years old and potentially altered by the intense radiation environment surrounding them.โ Khawaja adds, โThese new organic compounds were just minutes old, found in ice that was fresh from the ocean below Enceladusโ surface.โ
The NASA Cassini mission previously revealed that Saturnโs E-ring, made up of icy materials from Enceladusโ plumes, contains nitrogen-and oxygen-bearing organic compounds. However, new research looks to analyse materials collected directly from Enceladusโ plumes.
What Organic Materials Did The NASA Cassini Mission Find On Saturnโs Moon?
To collect the icy grains ejected from Eceladusโ plumes, the NASA Cassini Mission relied on its Cosmic Dust Analyser. This instrument was only able to collect ions of the icy grains as they smashed against Ed it during the missionโs fly by.
However, after analysing the available samples, researchers found compounds from the aliphatic and cyclic ester and ether families. Other organic materials found were nitrogen-and oxygen-bearing compounds.
The post Study On NASA Cassini Lead To Discovery Of Organics From Saturnโs Moon appeared first on Orbital Today. Read more โ