The Cassini mission has pushed Enceladus to the top of the list of possible homes for life in our solar system.
https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/science/enceladus/

 

The Cassini mission has pushed Enceladus to the top of the list of possible homes for life in our solar system.
https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/science/enceladus/

I wouldn't be sure if it's on top of the most possible home for life, my personal bet still lies on Mars. But it's definitely the easiest to explore, now that they've discovered those water "plumes" sprouting out its south pole. A probe sent to explore wouldn't even have to land! That makes it the least expensive to send a mission to.

 

The current thinking is that life here may have started around the 'black smokers' on the sea bed, like along the Atlantic mid-ocean ridges. The results from Cassini suggest similar structures under the ocean on Enceladus which means there could be life thriving there now.

 

The current thinking is that life here may have started around the 'black smokers' on the sea bed, like along the Atlantic mid-ocean ridges. The results from Cassini suggest similar structures under the ocean on Enceladus which means there could be life thriving there now.

It could... then again, I'm under the impression that electrical activity of some sort could be important for more complex organic molecules to form. Which is something quite common on Earth, but I doubt exists in Enceladus...

Of course, I'm no planetary scientist... I just find this subject fascinating.

 

The current thinking is that life here may have started around the 'black smokers' on the sea bed, like along the Atlantic mid-ocean ridges. The results from Cassini suggest similar structures under the ocean on Enceladus which means there could be life thriving there now.

My first thought was, "Ice fishing!" But then I did some research: according to Wikipedia, the ice is around 19-25 miles thick.

Bummer.

 

This is the weirdest-looking moon I've ever seen:

https://www.newscientist.com/articl...g-saucer-moon-atlas-has-a-smooth-fluffy-edge/

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This is the weirdest-looking moon I've ever seen:

https://www.newscientist.com/articl...g-saucer-moon-atlas-has-a-smooth-fluffy-edge/

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