Enceladus, a moon of Saturn, probably has a saltwater ocean under it’s surface, at least per an analysis of data from the Cassini probe. Take it away NASA and JPL:
For the first time, scientists working on NASA’s Cassini mission have detected sodium salts in ice grains of Saturn’s outermost ring. Detecting salty ice indicates that Saturn’s moon Enceladus, which primarily replenishes the ring with material from discharging jets, could harbor a reservoir of liquid water — perhaps an ocean — beneath its surface.
Such an ocean would vastly increase the chance of life elsewhere in our solar system, beyond our own planet.
it’s = “it has” or “it is”
its = belonging to it
Amazing news! (And a great picture!)
Hm, maybe Kubrick should have stuck with Clarke’s original idea to make Saturn the destination for “Discovery”‘s mission after all…
Awesome.
When can we eat it?
I’m not sure I understand the significance of this news.
I mean, an ocean on Enceladus has been postulated for some time now…
All that seems new here is the discovery of sodium salts.
So is there some reason having an ocean of saltwater is MORE exciting than, say, just having an ocean?
Still… Yay science. Now get back to work on the warp drive.
BUT CAN IT BRING BACK MJ?!
It’s an ocean full of tears for the dead.
I’m still pulling for Europa in the intra-solar system search for ET. I actually wrote a paper on it once.
Excellent. Too bad it has to compete with the death of two ’70s icons in the news cycle.
Saturn is fine and dandy, Jonathan, but here on Slog we’d much rather hear something about Uranus.