Glowing fountains on icy Saturn moon

Maggie McKee, space news editor

(Image: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute)

Cue the theme to 2001: A space odyssey. As the Cassini spacecraft swooped low towards Saturn's snow-white moon Enceladus, it snapped this stunning image of icy jets spewing from the moon's south pole.

The fountains, discovered by Cassini in July 2005, hint at reservoirs of liquid water beneath the moon's surface that just might be home to life.

After taking this image, Cassini made its closest pass yet above the moon's south polar region, coming within 74 kilometres of the surface, according to the European Space Agency. Data from the flight will reveal more about the composition, density and variability of the ice and steam plumes, which are the source of the material in Saturn's E ring.

Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/1de97362/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Cblogs0Cshortsharpscience0C20A120C0A30Cglowing0Efountains0Eon0Eicy0Esatur0Bhtml0DDCMP0FOTC0Erss0Gnsref0Fonline0Enews/story01.htm

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