Scientists suggest that Saturn's moon Enceladus is possibly home to alien life.
The search for alien life beyond Earth has enticed many people. Till now scientists have not found any credible evidence to confirm the presence of alien life in the space. However, at the same time humans have just explored small parts of the space and scientists are in agreement that earthlings are not the only living organisms in the space and alien life may exist beyond the Earth.
Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun and has 62 moons orbiting the planet. Enceladus is the sixth biggest moon of Saturn and is just about 500 kilometers (km) in diameter. Scientists believe that Enceladus is one of the best places in our solar system that may support alien life.
Enceladus is covered with ice but scientists suggest it is very active geologically. Scientists also believe that there may be liquid water underneath the icy surface of the celestial object. Previous studies about Enceladus have revealed that the oceans under the surface of the moon may also be in contact with the mantle, which makes chemical reactions possible. The geyser like plumes spews water on the moon.
NASA's Cassini spacecraft has been orbiting Saturn since 2004 and it has also studies ice grains and gases on Enceladus' plumes. Scientists have also developed a model with the help of the information gathered by Cassini that estimates the pH and saltiness of plumes on Enceladus.
Scientists have found that the oceans on Enceladus are likely to be salty as well as quite basis with pH of 11 or 12. This pH level can also be tolerated by some living organisms on the Earth. Glein explains that high pH is caused by a geochemical process, which is called serpentinization.
"This process is central to the emerging science of astrobiology, because molecular hydrogen can both drive the formation of organic compounds like amino acids that may lead to the origin of life, and serve as food for microbial life such as methane-producing organisms," says Glein. "As such, serpentinization provides a link between geological processes and biological processes. The discovery of serpentinization makes Enceladus an even more promising candidate for a separate genesis of life."
A previous report revealed that the Curiosity rover exploring the Martian surface has found nitrates on the Red Planet, which are the key nutrient components for living organisms on Earth. However, no evidence of any life form has been found on Mars till now.
The discovery of alien life beyond the Earth will be one of the biggest discoveries in the history of mankind. The latest study about Enceladus is a significant step towards finding if life exists or may have existed on the moon.
The study has been published in the journal Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta.
