According to Live Science, this phenomenon originates from Enceladus, the fascinating icy moon of Saturn, where NASA is preparing to send a robotic explorer in search of extraterrestrial life.
What the world’s leading telescope, James Webb, developed and operated by NASA, has captured is a colossal jet of water shooting directly into space. Scientists from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center believe that this jet has the potential to contain various chemical components representative of life.
Surface of Enceladus with its “Reversed Fountains” – Image: NASA
While this is not the first time that water plumes have been observed on Enceladus, the wide-angle and high-resolution perspective of James Webb offers an unprecedented view of this phenomenon.
The “reversed fountain” from the cosmos shoots higher than the diameter of Enceladus itself, measuring approximately 504 kilometers.
The presence of water plumes on Enceladus was first observed in 2005 when a jet… shot directly at NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, which was exploring Saturn.
A study based on Cassini data, published last year, revealed the presence of organic compounds such as methane, carbon dioxide, and ammonia in this water, which are essential chemical building blocks for the development of life.
These erupting water plumes were previously believed to supply material to Saturn’s renowned rings. The newfound discovery with the “divine eye” of James Webb has the potential to complete the picture of this event’s scale and help explain the mechanisms behind the flow of these cosmic fountains.
Snake-like Robot Under Testing by NASA – Image: NASA
Water serves as crucial evidence for the possibility of life on Enceladus, a moon that NASA believes harbors a subsurface ocean beneath its icy crust, warmed by a hydrothermal system similar to those found in Hawaii or the Earth’s polar regions.
NASA is currently preparing two missions targeting Enceladus. The first is the Enceladus Orbilander, a spacecraft that will orbit the moon for approximately six months, collecting samples from the reverse fountains. Subsequently, it will land on the surface equipped with tools to directly analyze the samples.
The second mission involves a rugged, self-driving robot designed to be deployed on Enceladus. This robot, named Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor, is intended to traverse the moon’s crevices in search of life. It is currently undergoing testing at Goddard.
The discovery of these powerful reversed fountains holds great promise for a significant breakthrough in this long-awaited journey and lays the foundation for direct exploration missions.