Oceans of water below Saturn’s moon

by time news

A study conducted by the Department of Earth Sciences, Air Country and Planets at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology revealed. The oceans cover the surface of Enceladus, the sixth satellite of the planet Saturn, and the level of salt in them reaches the level necessary for the existence of life.

According to the researchers, under its icy crust, Enceladus hides a watery ocean. In order to make the necessary calculations, the scientific team designed a model for the characteristics of the moon. It became clear to them that under the thick layer of ice in the polar region there are areas in the ocean waters with high salinity, and under the thinner ice layer at the equator, the water is less salty.

In addition, the salinity of water on Enceladus can reach 30 grams per kilogram of water. That is, the salinity of the terrestrial oceans is higher and is equivalent to 35 grams per kilogram of water.

It is noteworthy that the Cassini space probe took samples from water fountains that come out of the surface of the Ecsellados. And it turned out to scientists that they contain organic matter that could support life on the moon.

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