Saturn moon may be "best be for life"

[n2doc]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4895358.stm

Saturn's tiny moon Enceladus may be the best place to look for life elsewhere in the Solar System.

That is the view of a senior scientist working on the Cassini spacecraft, which has been studying Saturn and its moons for nearly two years.

Dr Bob Brown told a major conference in Vienna, Austria, Enceladus contains simple organic molecules, water and heat, the ingredients for life.

He raised the possibility of future missions to probe inside the moon.

Other research presented at the European Geosciences Union (EGU) annual meeting suggests that Enceladus may have a core of molten rock reaching temperatures of 1,400K (above 1,100C).

Enceladus' tiger stripes:


Water vapor geyser:


Proposed mechanism:

[mainegreen]

1. Not that it isn't worth a look, but best place != good chance.

One can hope though.