{"id":54438,"date":"2025-09-10T04:32:13","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T04:32:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/54438\/"},"modified":"2025-09-10T04:32:13","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T04:32:13","slug":"do-organics-in-enceladus-plumes-really-come-from-its-ocean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/54438\/","title":{"rendered":"Do organics in Enceladus\u2019 plumes really come from its ocean?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Artist-concept-plumes-Enceladus-ESA-Science-Office-e1757427586927.jpg\" alt=\"White, ridged terrain with plumes bursting upward, a crescent-lit moon behind and a bright sun in the distance.\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" class=\"size-full wp-image-521304\"\/>This artist\u2019s concept shows plumes erupting onto the surface of Saturn\u2019s moon Enceladus. In the background we see another moon, Titan, lit as a crescent, with the distant sun beyond. A new study suggests that organics in Enceladus\u2019 plumes and on the surface could be formed by radiation hitting the moon\u2019s icy surface. Image via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.europlanet.org\/epsc-dps2025-study-questions-ocean-origin-of-organics-in-enceladuss-plumes\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">ESA<\/a>\/ Science Office.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Huge plumes of water vapor erupt from large cracks<\/strong> in the surface ice at Enceladus\u2019 south pole. Scientists say the water vapor comes from the moon\u2019s subsurface ocean.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Cassini spacecraft sampled the plumes,<\/strong> finding all the elements needed for life, including both simple and complex organic molecules. Do the organics actually originate in the ocean, as scientists have thought?<\/li>\n<li><strong>At least some of the organics might be created by radiation<\/strong> hitting Enceladus\u2019 icy surface instead, new lab simulations suggest.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Saturn\u2019s moon Enceladus is an intriguing world that just might support life in its subsurface ocean. Indeed, NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/cassini\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Cassini<\/a> orbiter previously found a variety of both simple and <a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/space\/complex-organics-on-enceladus-ocean-moons-cassini-astrobiology\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">complex organic molecules<\/a>, both on Enceladus\u2019 icy surface and in its <a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/space\/plumes-on-enceladus-saturn-amino-acids-astrobiology\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">water vapor plumes<\/a>. Scientists said those plumes, at the south pole of the moon, most likely originate directly from the ocean below the ice crust. Do the organics also come from the ocean? Researchers in Europe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.europlanet.org\/epsc-dps2025-study-questions-ocean-origin-of-organics-in-enceladuss-plumes\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">said<\/a> on September 9, 2025, that at least some of them might instead be formed by radiation hitting the frozen surface.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/grace-richards\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Grace Richards<\/a> at the National Institute for Astrophysics (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.inaf.it\/en?set_language=en\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">INAF<\/a>) in Rome, Italy, led the research team. She <a href=\"https:\/\/meetingorganizer.copernicus.org\/EPSC-DPS2025\/EPSC-DPS2025-264.html\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">presented<\/a> their findings at Europlanet\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epsc-dps2025.eu\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2025<\/a> in Helsinki, Finland, on September 9, 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Organics in Enceladus\u2019 plumes<\/p>\n<p>The plumes on Enceladus break through the icy surface at the south pole of the moon. They erupt from long, deep cracks called <a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/space\/enceladus-saturn-moon-tiger-stripe-explained\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Tiger Stripes<\/a>. Scientists said the plumes originate from the salty ocean below the outer ice crust.<\/p>\n<p>When Cassini flew through Enceladus\u2019 plumes, it tasted them to see what they are composed of. Cassini found water vapor, salts, ammonia, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous, hydrogen cyanide and a variety of organic molecules. In addition, there is evidence for hydrothermal activity on the ocean floor. Altogether, these findings support the scenario that Enceladus\u2019 ocean is potentially habitable, by earthly standards.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Enceladus-plumes-Cassini-artist-illustration.jpeg\" alt=\"Shadowed edge of planet-like body with several bright plumes erupting from the surface. Small spacecraft close to the plumes.\" width=\"800\" height=\"338\" class=\"size-full wp-image-488897\"  \/><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Enceladus_Plume.jpg?w=4096&amp;format=webp\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">View larger<\/a>. | Artist\u2019s illustration of <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/cassini\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Cassini<\/a> flying through the water vapor plumes of Enceladus. Cassini tasted the plumes as it flew through them, analyzing their composition. Image via <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/cassini\/science\/enceladus\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">NASA<\/a>\/ JPL-Caltech\/ Space Science Institute.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Enceladus-Cassini-September-25-2018.jpg\" alt=\"Smooth planet-like object with many long grooves on its surface, on black background.\" width=\"800\" height=\"467\" class=\"size-full wp-image-422630\"  \/>NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission_pages\/cassini\/main\/index.html\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Cassini<\/a> spacecraft took this image of Enceladus in October 2008. Here, we see cracks in the icy surface. Below the ice crust lies a subsurface ocean. Image via NASA\/ JPL-Caltech\/ <a href=\"https:\/\/solarsystem.nasa.gov\/missions\/cassini\/science\/enceladus\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">NASA Science<\/a>.<br \/>\nAre the organics from the ocean or radiation?<\/p>\n<p>Richards and her team conducted experiments to see what could create the organics. Did they actually originate in the ocean, or could they be formed on the surface? Notably, the results suggest at least some of the organics could be formed from radiation hitting Enceladus\u2019 icy surface. The radiation is trapped within Saturn\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/magnetosphere\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">magnetosphere<\/a>, which Enceladus passes through in its orbit. Richards <a href=\"https:\/\/www.europlanet.org\/epsc-dps2025-study-questions-ocean-origin-of-organics-in-enceladuss-plumes\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">said<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>While the identification of complex organic molecules in Enceladus\u2019 environment remains an important clue in assessing the moon\u2019s habitability, the results demonstrate that radiation-driven chemistry on the surface and in the plumes could also create these molecules.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Enceladus-plumes-Cassini-2009.jpg\" alt=\"Organics in Enceladus' plumes: Sunlit limb of planet-like body, with jets of vapor erupting upward against a black background.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" class=\"size-full wp-image-459730\"  \/><a href=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/psd\/solar\/2023\/09\/p\/i\/PIA11688-2.jpg?w=1580&amp;h=977&amp;fit=clip&amp;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">View larger<\/a>. | The plumes on Enceladus as <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/cassini\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Cassini<\/a> saw them on November 21, 2009. Image via <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/resource\/bursting-at-the-seams\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">NASA<\/a>\/ JPL-Caltech\/ Space Science Institute.<br \/>\nSimulating the surface ice of Enceladus<\/p>\n<p>To learn more, Richards and her colleagues simulated the ice of Enceladus in a lab. This was both ice on the surface and within the Tiger Stripes fractures. Specifically, to mimic conditions on Enceladus, the researchers added carbon dioxide, methane and ammonia and cooled the ice down to -320 degrees Fahrenheit (-200 C).<\/p>\n<p>Then, the team simulated the radiation hitting Enceladus. They did this by bombarding the ice with ions, which are atoms and molecules stripped of an electron. Interestingly, as the ions reacted with the ice, they created organic molecules including carbon monoxide, cyanate, ammonium and the precursors to amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins.<\/p>\n<p>Previously, Cassini had detected some of those molecules on Enceladus\u2019 surface and some in its plumes. This doesn\u2019t prove definitively that the organics on Enceladus are all formed this way. However, it does show that it\u2019s possible, at least for some of them. As Richards noted:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Molecules considered prebiotic could plausibly form in situ through radiation processing, rather than necessarily originating from the subsurface ocean. Although this doesn\u2019t rule out the possibility that Enceladus\u2019s ocean may be habitable, it does mean we need to be cautious in making that assumption just because of the composition of the plumes.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Grace-Richards-National-Institute-for-Astrophysics.jpeg\" alt=\"Smiling woman with long blond hair sitting in a chair and holding a microphone. A laptop is also in her lap.\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" class=\"size-full wp-image-521185\"  \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/grace-richards\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Grace Richards<\/a> at the National Institute for Astrophysics (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.inaf.it\/en?set_language=en\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">INAF<\/a>) in Rome, Italy, is the lead researcher of the new study about organics on Enceladus. Image via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/grace-richards\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">LinkedIn<\/a>.<br \/>\nOther complex organics<\/p>\n<p>Previous studies found a variety of <a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/space\/complex-organics-on-enceladus-ocean-moons-cassini-astrobiology\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">complex organic molecules<\/a> in the plumes, including esters, alkenes and ethers, as well as other complex molecules containing nitrogen and oxygen. They provide evidence for possible chemical reactions that could produce fats or nucleotide bases, the building blocks of DNA. Whether the radiation could account for these is currently unknown.<\/p>\n<p>Bottom line: Scientists have thought the organics in Enceladus\u2019 plumes originate in its ocean. A new study suggests at least some of them might be formed by radiation.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/meetingorganizer.copernicus.org\/EPSC-DPS2025\/EPSC-DPS2025-264.html\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Source: Water-Group Ion Irradiation Studies of Enceladus Surface Analogues<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.europlanet.org\/epsc-dps2025-study-questions-ocean-origin-of-organics-in-enceladuss-plumes\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Via Europlanet<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/space\/life-on-enceladus-ocean-moons-astrobiology\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Read more: Signs of life on Enceladus might remain hidden in its ocean<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/space\/dark-spot-on-enceladus-geology-cassini\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Read more: Mystery dark spot on Enceladus intrigues scientists<\/a><\/p>\n<p>                    Paul Scott Anderson<br \/>\n                    <a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/author\/paul-scott-anderson\/\" class=\"post-author-link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">View Articles<\/a><\/p>\n<p>                    About the Author:<\/p>\n<p>Paul Scott Anderson has had a passion for space exploration that began when he was a child when he watched Carl Sagan\u2019s Cosmos. He studied English, writing, art and computer\/publication design in high school and college. He later started his blog The Meridiani Journal in 2005, which was later renamed Planetaria. He also later started the blog Fermi Paradoxica, about the search for life elsewhere in the universe.&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\nWhile interested in all aspects of space exploration, his primary passion is planetary science and SETI. In 2011, he started writing about space on a freelance basis with Universe Today. He has also written for SpaceFlight Insider and AmericaSpace and has also been published in The Mars Quarterly. He also did some supplementary writing for the iOS app Exoplanet.&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\nHe has been writing for EarthSky since 2018, and also assists with proofing and social media.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This artist\u2019s concept shows plumes erupting onto the surface of Saturn\u2019s moon Enceladus. In the background we see&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":54439,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[270],"tags":[27604,18,39550,19,17,39549,4145,133,451],"class_list":{"0":"post-54438","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-space","8":"tag-cassini","9":"tag-eire","10":"tag-enceladus-ocean","11":"tag-ie","12":"tag-ireland","13":"tag-organics-in-enceladus-plumes","14":"tag-radiation","15":"tag-science","16":"tag-space"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54438","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54438"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54438\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54439"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54438"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54438"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54438"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}