NASA has stated that the new images taken of Saturn’s moon Enceladus have shown that the moon has begun to release geysers that contain hot liquid water.
The moon which is mostly made up of ice and rock has a hot core. This heat has begun to melt ice and this liquid water is being ejected into space.
Since the moon has a heat source and liquid water, which are the main ingredients of life, scientists are now hoping that some forms of “internal life” may be present on the moon.
According to these scientists the heat source producing these geysers is organic and the material that is being used to spew them is a result of the decay of some radioactive material from inside the moon.
Still no one is claiming that they have discovered any extraterrestrial life, yet they surely have discovered a place which can support life.
Scientists at NASA have created a new model that shows that Enceladus might have been created by isotopes of aluminum and iron. These isotopes have begun to decay causing large amounts of heat to be built up near the core of the moon. The process has continued for billions of years which have caused the icy mass near the core to melt.
The only puzzle for scientists is how the moon has developed a hot core. This could only have happened by a very rapid decay of some radioactive material.
This decomposition would have continued for a period of about 7 million years and would have produced enormous amounts of heat.
According to the theory the remaining material will continue to decay for billion of years and will keep the core warm.
More research will be carried out when Cassini makes a flyby on Enceladus in March 2008.
Via: wikinews
