Heating ocean moon Enceladus

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Heating ocean moon Enceladus for billions of years

Quote

Enough heat to power hydrothermal activity inside Saturn’s ocean moon Enceladus for billions of years could be generated through tidal friction if the moon has a highly porous core, a new study finds, working in favour of the moon as a potentially habitable world. 

A paper published in Nature Astronomy today presents the first concept that explains the key characteristics of 500 km-diameter Enceladus as observed by the international Cassini spacecraft over the course of its mission, which concluded in September.

  Read More: ESA

 

[paperdyer]

Arthur C. Clarke would have been excited as well.

[BeastieRunner]

So cool!

If we find any life, I hope we have enough sense to not contaminate it.

[_KB_]

I say we shoot a rocket with all kinds of durable microbes and stuff with a decent chance of survival there, if they don't have life there yet let's start it, it's fun playing god

[Merc14]

What an incredibly complex mission it would be to get through 20+ miles of ice and then descend through 6 miles of ocean to get to the bottom so we could explore for the vents on the floor of ocean where, presumably, life would be.  How would you even communicate with earth through through all of it?   

[qxcontinuum]

52 minutes ago, Merc14 said:

What an incredibly complex mission it would be to get through 20+ miles of ice and then descend through 6 miles of ocean to get to the bottom so we could explore for the vents on the floor of ocean where, presumably, life would be.  How would you even communicate with earth through through all of it?   

agree , it seems impossible to complete unless it will be approach this differently. More like a "fish finder" works, find a way to sink the probe (sonar) in the water, probably using the gazers openings .. Other than it i am not sure if existent technology allows a walking robot on icy surface to penetrate this debt and scan for life activity ...

[TonopahRick]

We'll never know if we don't try.