microrobert
07-30-2012, 04:42 PM
Enceladus: home of alien lifeforms?
Mars dominates the search for extraterrestrial life in our solar system, but a growing number of scientists believe Enceladus, an icy moon of Saturn, is a much better bet
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Observer/Pix/pictures/2012/7/27/1343389255580/enceladus-saturn-moon-sur-008.jpg
The mosaic of fractures, folds and ridges in the surface of Enceladus, captured by Nasa's Cassini spacecraft.
Enceladus is little bigger than a lump of rock and has appeared, until recently, as a mere pinprick of light in astronomers' telescopes. Yet Saturn (http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/saturn)'s tiny moon has suddenly become a major attraction for scientists. Many now believe it offers the best hope we have of discovering life on another world inside our solar system.
The idea that a moon a mere 310 miles in diameter, orbiting in deep, cold space (http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/space), 1bn miles from the sun, could provide a home for alien lifeforms may seem extraordinary. Nevertheless, a growing number of researchers consider this is a real prospect and argue that Enceladus should be rated a top priority for future space missions.
Enceladus: home of alien lifeforms? | Science | The Observer (http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/jul/29/alien-life-enceladus-saturn-moon)
Mars dominates the search for extraterrestrial life in our solar system, but a growing number of scientists believe Enceladus, an icy moon of Saturn, is a much better bet
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Observer/Pix/pictures/2012/7/27/1343389255580/enceladus-saturn-moon-sur-008.jpg
The mosaic of fractures, folds and ridges in the surface of Enceladus, captured by Nasa's Cassini spacecraft.
Enceladus is little bigger than a lump of rock and has appeared, until recently, as a mere pinprick of light in astronomers' telescopes. Yet Saturn (http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/saturn)'s tiny moon has suddenly become a major attraction for scientists. Many now believe it offers the best hope we have of discovering life on another world inside our solar system.
The idea that a moon a mere 310 miles in diameter, orbiting in deep, cold space (http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/space), 1bn miles from the sun, could provide a home for alien lifeforms may seem extraordinary. Nevertheless, a growing number of researchers consider this is a real prospect and argue that Enceladus should be rated a top priority for future space missions.
Enceladus: home of alien lifeforms? | Science | The Observer (http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/jul/29/alien-life-enceladus-saturn-moon)