Samples collected in the rings of Saturn and directly above its moon Enceladus have revealed signs of various organic molecules that may be among the ingredients necessary for the origin of life. There are probably more complex organic molecules on Enceladus than previously thought. This increases the likelihood of the existence of chemical reactions that produce the building blocks of living organisms, he writes New Scientist.
Saturn's moon Enceladus is one of the worlds where alien life could potentially exist. Beneath the moon's icy crust is a vast ocean of liquid water from which jets of ice and steam erupt, and there is some evidence of energy sources on the seafloor, similar to hydrothermal vents in Earth's oceans.
The Cassini spacecraft studied Saturn and its moons for 13 years before slamming into the ringed gas giant in 2017. The apparatus was able to collect samples of icy particles in one of Saturn's outer rings, which scientists believe arrived there from jets ejected by Enceladus.
Previously, after analyzing ice particles, scientists have already confirmed that Enceladus has all 6 chemical elements necessary for life as we know it: carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur. The Cassini spacecraft also made a close flyby of Enceladus and collected icy particles from the jets themselves. But they have not previously been subjected to as thorough an analysis as scientists from the Free University of Berlin, Germany.
Researchers have found evidence for a wide range of chemical groups that are common to many biological molecules. They include esters, alkenes, as well as complex molecules that contain nitrogen and oxygen.
Although scientists cannot determine exactly which molecules these chemical groups come from, their presence means there is a high probability that the chemical reactions that create the building blocks of DNA are present.
One reason these chemicals were not detected in Saturn's rings is that the ice particles found in the jet contained less water, so scientists were able to identify the complex molecules.
This discovery strengthens the idea that Enceladus may have the necessary conditions for the creation of life and that alien life itself may exist there.
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