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Space: Ocean spray on Saturn moon contains crucial constituents for life

Introversion

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Nasa probe detected complex organic molecules in plumes of water and ice as it flew over Enceladus

The Guardian said:
Blasts of ocean spray that erupt from a moon of Saturn contain complex organic molecules, making it the only place beyond Earth known to harbour crucial constituents for life as we know it.

Astronomers detected the compounds in plumes of water and ice that shoot from huge fractures in the south pole of Enceladus, a 300-mile-wide ice ball that orbits Saturn along with 52 other moons. Enceladus stands out among the planet’s natural satellites because it hosts a global water ocean beneath its frozen crust.

German and US scientists found tell-tale signs of organic molecules far more complex than amino acids and 10 times heavier than methane in data gathered by Nasa’s Cassini probe as it flew over the fractures on Enceladus. Known as “tiger stripes”, the fissures reach several miles down into the ice and are largely filled with ocean water that percolates up from the ocean.

The discovery has boosted calls to send another mission to Enceladus to answer once and for all whether life exists on the frigid body. While complex organics are necessary for life, and could even be remnants of alien microbes, the compounds can easily be made in routine reactions that have nothing to do with biology.

Frank Postberg, a planetary scientist who worked on the data at Heidelberg University, said that with modern instrumentation it would be straightforward to check Enceladus for signs of life. “You don’t have to land or drill, you just fly past,” he said. “This is not science fiction. You can just go there and check: is there life or not?”

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MaeZe

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Have I hugged you enough recently, Introversion? :Hug2:

Your diversion from current USA politics is much appreciated.
 

Introversion

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It helps me (in a distractionary way) to look for these articles, too. :Shrug:
 

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For some reason this feels like old news. Hadn't they already detected this? Or maybe it was just theorized before. But for whatever reason, this doesn't feel like a surprise.
 

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I think they suspected what they’d find, but I’m not sure if they’d fully analyzed the Cassini data yet? My bad if so; I just posted what I assumed was new.
 

MaeZe

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For some reason this feels like old news. Hadn't they already detected this? Or maybe it was just theorized before. But for whatever reason, this doesn't feel like a surprise.


This came up in my science perusing before the thread was posted. These organic molecules are larger and more complex.

I think it comes down to non-scientists writing science news articles. Everything is an organic molecule. From the OP:
German and US scientists found tell-tale signs of organic molecules far more complex than amino acids and 10 times heavier than methane in data gathered by Nasa’s Cassini probe as it flew over the fractures on Enceladus.

This was in 2014: NASA Goddard Instrument Makes First Detection of Organic Matter on Mars. There were similar headlines in 2012. Well the 2014 molecules couldn't be 'first' if they were also found in 2012.

So one would certainly think they already found organic molecules on Mars when this new discovery was announced two weeks ago: Massive Mars discovery: Organic molecules 'fundamental to our search for life' found by NASA rover

I was lured into waiting for the NASA news conference to announce a big new discovery. Aaaand then it was announced they'd found organic molecules. :tongue

There were a few details. The topsoil is sterile because of radiation bombardment, no magnetic field and not much atmosphere. Organic molecules break down.

These discovered molecules came from a sample Curiosity dug up.
 
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Ah, so way more complex molecules. That actually is news, whether or not there's actual life. It shows that complex molecules are potentially self-assembling (not that there was any doubt if you have any understanding of thermodynamics)