Six years after its dramatic entry into Saturn’s atmosphere, NASA’s now-completed Cassini mission continues to fuel discoveries. Data from this mission recently revealed evidence that hydrogen cyanide is present in the giant plume of water vapor and ice grains spewing from Saturn’s moon Enceladus. This linear molecule is the key to the origin of life. Cassini found strong evidence of this molecule and the possibility that a powerful source of chemical energy exists in the ocean beneath Enceladus’ icy shell. It was discovered that Published on December 14th natural astronomy.
[Related: NASA hopes its snake robot can search for alien life on Saturn’s moon Enceladus.]
In June, a new analysis of Cassini data found that Enceladus’ plumes theoretically contain all the chemicals needed to support life. The ocean beneath Enceladus may be supplying most of this material to the plumes flowing from the moon. This newly identified energy source also exists in the form of several organic compounds. Some of these compounds serve as fuel for life on Earth. There may be more chemical energy inside this tiny moon than astronomers previously thought. The more energy there is, the more likely a celestial body can support life.
“Our research shows that Enceladus contains some of the most important molecules for both producing the building blocks of life and sustaining life through metabolic reactions,” said study co-author Jonah Peter, a doctoral student at Harvard University. “This provides further evidence that it hosts in a statement. “Not only does Enceladus appear to meet the basic requirements for habitability, but we are also wondering how complex biomolecules are formed there and what kinds of chemical pathways are involved. I got an idea about it.”
“The Swiss Army Knife of Amino Acid Precursors”
Hydrogen cyanide is the most important and versatile molecule needed to form the amino acids needed to sustain life, as its molecules can stack up in different ways. The research team calls for: hydrogen cyanide “The Swiss Army Knife of Amino Acid Precursors.”
“The discovery of hydrogen cyanide was particularly exciting because it is the starting point for most theories about the origin of life,” Peter said. “The more we tested alternative models and tried to poke holes in the results, the stronger the evidence became. Ultimately, it became clear that there was no way to match the plume composition without including hydrogen cyanide. became.”
in 2017, Scientists have found evidence that Enceladus potentially has chemicals that could help support life in the ocean. The combination of hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide in the plume indicated methane production. This metabolic process produces methane, which is widespread on Earth. Methane production may also have played an important role in the origin of life on Earth.
[Related: Here’s how life on Earth might have formed out of thin air and water.]
of new research They found evidence for additional energetic chemical sources that make the process more powerful than methane production. Scientists have discovered a large number of organic compounds that are oxidized. Because oxidation helps facilitate the release of chemical energy, the presence of oxidized compounds suggests that there are multiple chemical pathways potentially supporting life in Enceladus’ subsurface ocean.
“If methane production is like a small clock battery in terms of energy, then our findings suggest that Enceladus’ ocean could provide large amounts of energy for any life that might exist. This suggests it could provide something close to a car battery,” said study co-author Kevin Hand, an astrobiologist and planetary scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. said in a statement.
How Earth’s mathematics works on Saturn’s moons
The researchers also conducted detailed statistical analyzes to recreate the conditions Cassini discovered on Enceladus. They examined data observed by Cassini about the gas, ions, and ice grains around Saturn. Ion and neutral mass spectrometer collected. The statistical model helped the team uncover small differences between different compounds.
“There are a lot of potential puzzle pieces that can be put together when trying to reconcile observed data,” Peter said. “We used mathematics and statistical modeling to identify the combination of puzzle pieces that best matched the plume’s composition and made the most of the data without over-interpreting the limited data set.”
Although it’s still a long way from knowing whether life will emerge on Enceladus, this new study shows that the chemical pathways for life on Saturn’s moon can be tested in a laboratory on Earth.
