Tech · 15 d ago
Salt crystals could hold clues to life in the ocean beneath Enceladus's ice
Enceladus
A moon of Saturn
Jets near the south pole of Saturn's moon spray water vapour and ice from its hidden ocean onto the surface.
The mineral
natron
In a laboratory, a team led by Liam Perera of Diamond Light Source in the United Kingdom found that natron, a salt expected on Enceladus, traps tiny pockets of water as it freezes.
Grains with fluid pockets
3 %
Only about 3 per cent of nearly 3,800 grains held fluid pockets, but all 29 of the largest grains did.
What we know
- Natron traps water as it freezes
Not yet
- Whether natron is on Enceladus
- Whether it can preserve traces of life
Natron has not yet been confirmed on Enceladus, and whether it can preserve traces of life remains untested.
