“The Cassini discoveries in the first three flybys were so amazing. We changed our focus and added 20 more flybys of Enceladus, including seven through the icy jets” says Linda Spilker, Cassini Project Scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Target One; Enceladus’s Plumes; would yield the best scientific results because it has the possibility of habiting life, a mysterious heat source and feeds Saturn’s rings.
To begin with, Enceladus’s plumes have tremendous qualities that make them possibly habitable to life. “With its global ocean, unique chemistry and internal heat, Enceladus has become a promising lead in our search for worlds where life could exist” ("Enceladus - In Depth | Planets - NASA Solar System Exploration"). This means …show more content…
“It is possible Enceladus is heated by a tidal mechanism similar to Jupiter's moon Io” ("Enceladus - In Depth | Planets - NASA Solar System Exploration"). This is extremely important because tidal energy is a very popular renewable energy and new information on how to use this energy would immensely benefit Earth. “The moon’s ability to generate so much internal heat remains a mystery, but it bodes well for habitability” ("8 Real World Science Facts About Saturn's Moon Enceladus Slideshow | NASA/JPL Edu"). This is significant because solving the mystery of how Enceladus's plumes get so much heat would yield amazing scientific results that could change the way we think of tidal energy and how we use it.
Thirdly, Enceladus's plumes feed Saturn’s rings. “Fast-moving ice particles escaping from Enceladus' jets feed and replenish one of Saturn's rings, called the E ring — a faint halo that lies beyond the brighter main rings” ("Enceladus - In Depth | Planets - NASA Solar System Exploration"). This is important because unlocking the secrets of how, when and why this happens could help us understand how our system was
To begin with, Enceladus’s plumes have tremendous qualities that make them possibly habitable to life. “With its global ocean, unique chemistry and internal heat, Enceladus has become a promising lead in our search for worlds where life could exist” ("Enceladus - In Depth | Planets - NASA Solar System Exploration"). This means …show more content…
“It is possible Enceladus is heated by a tidal mechanism similar to Jupiter's moon Io” ("Enceladus - In Depth | Planets - NASA Solar System Exploration"). This is extremely important because tidal energy is a very popular renewable energy and new information on how to use this energy would immensely benefit Earth. “The moon’s ability to generate so much internal heat remains a mystery, but it bodes well for habitability” ("8 Real World Science Facts About Saturn's Moon Enceladus Slideshow | NASA/JPL Edu"). This is significant because solving the mystery of how Enceladus's plumes get so much heat would yield amazing scientific results that could change the way we think of tidal energy and how we use it.
Thirdly, Enceladus's plumes feed Saturn’s rings. “Fast-moving ice particles escaping from Enceladus' jets feed and replenish one of Saturn's rings, called the E ring — a faint halo that lies beyond the brighter main rings” ("Enceladus - In Depth | Planets - NASA Solar System Exploration"). This is important because unlocking the secrets of how, when and why this happens could help us understand how our system was