![]() Whether life could have originated in Enceladus’ ocean remains an open question." Glein stressed that life has not been found on the moon – or anywhere else in the solar system beyond Earth: “Having the ingredients is necessary, but they may not be sufficient for an extraterrestrial environment to host life. “This key ingredient could be abundant enough to potentially support life in Enceladus’ ocean this is a stunning discovery for astrobiology and a major step forward in the search for life beyond Earth." The next step is clear – we need to go back to Enceladus to see if the habitable ocean is actually inhabited." “With this finding, the ocean of Enceladus is now known to satisfy what is generally considered to be the strictest requirement for life. “We found phosphate concentrations at least 100 times higher in the moon’s plume-forming ocean waters than in Earth’s oceans," he said. Glein also shed light on the astonishing concentration of phosphates within Enceladus’s waters. It’s the first time this essential element has been discovered in an ocean beyond Earth."ĭr. ![]() ![]() “But now, this new result reveals the clear chemical signature of substantial amounts of phosphorus salts inside icy particles ejected into space by the small moon’s plume. “We previously found that Enceladus’ ocean is rich in a variety of organic compounds," said Frank Postberg, who led the new study, published on Wednesday, June 14, in the journal Nature. ![]() Phosphorus is also a fundamental part of energy-carrying molecules present in all life on Earth. The element is a building block for DNA, which forms chromosomes and carries genetic information, and is present in the bones of mammals, cell membranes, and ocean-dwelling plankton. Phosphorus, the least abundant of the essential elements necessary for biological processes, hadn’t been detected until now. ![]()
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