Enceladus
(Saturn II)
(Saturn moon considered possible carrier of life)
Enceladus is one of Saturn's moons, considered an inner moon,
one of Saturn's closer major moons.
It is apparently covered with ice and shows water plumes,
suggesting subsurface water, which conceivably could
harbor life. The plumes supply the material for
Saturn's E ring. A proposed mission,
the Enceladus Life Finder (ELF), is intended to
look further for life signs.
The plumes are emitted from cracks along the center of
four visible ridges in a region of the surface,
that are known as the Enceladus tiger stripes or Enceladean sulci.
Precise measurements of Enceladus's physical libration
(i.e., forced libration)
over time have supported models with Enceladus's
core not solidly connected to its surface, i.e.,
that an ocean surrounds the whole core.
Enceladus's libration is large enough to eliminate
many alternate explanations.
(moon,Saturn)
Further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enceladus
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Solar/enceladus.html
http://astronomy.utfs.org/otto/solarsystem/eng/enceladu.htm
https://arxiv.org/abs/1908.01932
Redshift | Parsecs /Distance | Lightyears /Lookback Years | | |
~0 | 8AU | ~0ly | nearest | Enceladus |
~0 | 11AU | ~0ly | furthest | Enceladus |
|
Referenced by pages:
cryovolcano
Enceladus Life Finder (ELF)
Enceladus Orbilander
libration
moon
Saturn
Index