The Cassini spacecraft recently revealed that Enceladus--one of Saturn's smaller moons--generates about 15.8 gigawatts of power, the equivalent of 20 coal-fueled power stations.
Scientists don't know where all this power is coming from. They have surmised that Enceladus' south polar terrain is geologically active on four parallel linear trenches (known as "tiger stripes") 80 miles long and 1 mile wide. The fissures spill out huge plumes of ice particles and water vapor.
Observations taken in 2008, which cover the south polar terrain, revealed the region's surprisingly high output. Some space scientists have suggested that Enceladus' orbital relationship to Saturn and Dione changes with time, allowing episodes of more extreme tidal heating.
NASA scientists are optimistic that these higher heat flows may indicate that liquid water exists below Enceladus' surface. A study of ice particles ejected from the plumes revealed that some particles contain salt, which suggests a subterranean saltwater ocean. Another theory is that a south polar sea exists between the moon's outer ice shell and its rocky interior. Astrobiologists are excited about the possibility of liquid water, a tidal energy source, and organic (carbon-rich) chemicals in the plume of Enceladus.
The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Cassini orbiter was designed, developed and assembled at JPL.
Alex A. Kecskes has written hundreds of published articles on health/fitness, "green" issues, TV/film entertainment, restaurant reviews and many other topics. As a former Andy/Belding/One Show ad agency copywriter, he also writes web content, ads, brochures, sales letters, mailers and scripts for national B2B and B2C clients. Please see more of his blogs and view additional job postings on Nexxt.
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