Saturn moon may support microbial life

토성 위성 엔켈라두스서 열수구 증거 발견…생명 탄생 여건은? Scientists have found that one of Saturn's moons may be the best place to support life beyond Earth. The discovery was made by NASA's Cassini spacecraft, which is on a 13-year mission exploring Saturn and its 62 known moons. Ro Aram has more. According to research published by the journal Science on Thursday, ice plumes shooting into space from the ocean-bearing moon Enceladus contain hydrogen from hydrothermal vents. Scientists believe that similar conditions, in which hot rocks meet ocean water, may have been the cradle for the appearance of microbial life on Earth more than 4 billion years ago. Many moons orbiting Saturn are known to contain underground oceans, but Enceladus is the only one where scientists have found proof of an energy source for life. Reuters Edit No: 4233 01:30 "The new finding is finding hydrogen coming from the plume of Enceladus. And the fact that it could support -- potentially -- microbes with energy on the sea floor of Enceladus...." The researchers believe that there is a vast ocean, nearly twice as large as that on Earth, many kilometers deep within the surface of Enceladus. They think that this ocean is able to maintain its liquid state under the protection of the moon's icy shell, just like Earth's atmosphere, coupled with heat generated from the constant gravitational squeezing the moon receives from Saturn. But what scientists want to know is if the liquid interacts with the rocky surface of the moon and if this process of chemical reactions is similar to that on Earth, in which hydrogen is released as a byproduct and used by some microbes as an energy source for their metabolism. The researchers played down the possibility that life may already be on the little moon, but said the new findings make a compelling case for further study. Ro Aram, Arirang News. Visit ‘Arirang News’ Official Pages Facebook(NEWS):   / newsarirang   Homepage: http://www.arirang.com Facebook:   / arirangtv   Twitter:   / arirangworld   Instagram:   / arirangworld