Saturn / Natural world
Enceladus’s hidden ocean
Beneath the frozen surface of Saturn’s moon Enceladus lies a global ocean. Material from its interior escapes through fissures near the south pole.
A moon can send samples of its hidden interior into space. Those plumes let spacecraft investigate a place beneath an ice shell.
A CLOSER LOOK
Cassini measurements revealed that Enceladus has a global ocean beneath its crust. Water vapor and icy particles spray outward from the south polar region, linking the hidden reservoir with the space around the moon.
The escaping material contributes to Saturn’s E ring. Studying these particles gives scientists evidence about the interior without landing on the moon or drilling through its ice.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
NASAEnceladusNASACassini Finds Global Ocean in Saturn’s Moon EnceladusOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.