Is there life on the Saturn moon that was treated as a ‘listenable’?

[The JoongAng Plus – 정글:우주, 그 생명의 신비]

Enceladus’s south pole glows brightly with water vapor erupting from it. This eruption affected Saturn’s magnetic field and formed Saturn’s fifth ring. [사진 NASA]

Saturn’s small satellite ‘Enceladus’ is one of the ‘hot’ objects that space scientists are paying attention to these days. This is because it is estimated that the possibility of finding life is greater than anywhere else. It has been known for a long time that the sea under the land of Enceladus contains carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur, which are essential elements for life. However, in September of last year, when a research team at Stanford University in the U.S. released a simulation result that phosphorus would be abundant, expectations that life might exist grew even higher.

Enceladus was a ‘heard of’ moon that didn’t get much attention. That was until the unmanned Saturn probe Cassini, which arrived in Saturn’s orbit in 2005, witnessed an unexpected sight. Cassini was launched in 1997 and passed over Enceladus for the first time on February 17, 2005. Cassini observed four distinct stripes on the south pole of Enceladus, which was exceptionally bright. It looked like a tiger pattern.

A view of Saturn’s moon Enceladus in the middle of the fifth ring. [사진 NASA]

It was a crack on the surface of Enceladus. Steam and ice shards were pouring out at speeds of close to 1,000 km/h. This is why Enceladus’ South Pole is brighter. It was also discovered that the eruption of water vapor and the like influenced Saturn’s magnetic field to form Saturn’s fifth ring, called the ‘E Ring’.

Observations revealed an even greater mystery. That there is an ocean of water beneath the surface of Enceladus. Astronomers have guessed that there must be at least one place in the universe that has an underground ocean. However, I did not expect that it would suddenly reveal its true nature. Dr. Kim Min-seon of the Radio Astronomy Research Group at the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute said, “Existing explorations of space life have mainly focused on ‘planets in the habitable zone’. It is a very surprising discovery to confirm that water vapor is emitted from Enceladus.”

Cracks in the ice surface of Enceladus eject water vapor and ice fragments at speeds of up to 1000 kilometers per hour. [사진 NASA]

Among scientists, expectations that they might find life on Enceladus began to rise. This is because the evidence that life is suitable for life has come out one after another. It is estimated that there may also be hydrothermal vents created by geothermal activity deep in Enceladus. If the ice of Enceladus melted and became the sea because of geothermal heat, it was speculated that there would be hydrothermal vents that emit geothermal heat. The possibility of hydrothermal vents has excited scientists. There are also hydrothermal vents in Earth’s deep sea, where life is believed to have first originated. A decade of exploration has revealed that Enceladus not only emits water vapor, but also organic matter such as ammonia and methane. These organic substances are the result of the activities of life on Earth.

Southern hemisphere of Enceladus showing cracks in the tiger pattern or tiger scratch pattern. [사진 NASA]

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is planning to explore Enceladus directly with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. The mission is ‘Enceladus Oblander’. The goal is to launch in 2038 and enter Enceladus orbit in 2050. The cost estimate for the mission is $2.56 billion. In 2051, it seems that a robot will land on the surface of Enceladus and go directly into the sea. You may find signs of life. Last summer, the research team also tested the exploration equipment in California’s salt lakes.

Dr. Kim Min-sun said, “The probe presents a very ambitious goal of detecting something similar to cells in samples ejected from Enceladus. If life is discovered, it will be the most shocking discovery in human history.”

Read more in ‘The JoongAng Plus’

‘Jungle: The universe, the mystery of its life‘(Jungle) is a JoongAng Ilbo premium digital subscription service’The JoongAng Plus‘ is a serial series that started on the 16th of last month. It is shipped every Monday. The first episode ‘fusion energy‘ We looked at the meaning and limitations of success. This second is an analysis of the possibility of discovering life on Saturn’s small moon ‘Enceladus’. It is better to watch ‘Jungle’ as a video. Reporter Lee Jung-bong’s explanation continues with graphics, photos, and actual space scenes. Video featured in PlusIt’s informative as well as fun.

Episode 3 is scheduled to be released on the 6th.

View The JoongAng Plus article ☞ https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/25136396

Reporter Jeongbong Lee [email protected]