“The presence of hydrogen cyanide, which is a molecule that makes up amino acids, a component of living things.”
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) reported on the 14th (local time) through NASA’s official blog that it has discovered evidence of key elements necessary for the existence of life on Saturn’s satellite Enceladus.
The results of this study were announced by scientists analyzing data collected by NASA’s Saturn probe ‘Cassini’ and published in the astronomy section of the science journal ‘Nature’.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) said, “There is strong evidence for the presence of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) on Enceladus.” Hydrogen cyanide is one of the molecules essential for forming amino acids, one of the most basic components of life.
“Enceladus appears to meet the basic requirements for the possibility of life,” said Jonah Peter, a doctoral student at Harvard University and the first author of the paper. “We are learning more about how complex biomolecules can form on Enceladus.” “I am now able to understand it better,” he said.
JPL noted that researchers discovered evidence of methane gas production in Enceladus’ ice and water plumes in 2017. Traces of methane gas production may have played an important role in the origin of life on Earth, JPL analyzed.
“This study shows that the oceans on Enceladus could provide large amounts of energy for any life that might exist there,” said study co-author Kevin Hand. “If it is like a battery, the results of this study are similar to the electric battery of a car,” he explained.
Meanwhile, NASA’s Cassini is a Saturn probe launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in the United States on October 15, 1997. The Cassini probe, which arrived at Saturn on July 1, 2004, orbited Saturn for about 13 years and sent various photos and information. After completing its mission, Cassini entered Saturn’s atmosphere on September 15, 2017 to prevent collisions with Saturn’s moons, which may contain life, and burned and disintegrated due to friction with the atmosphere.
“The Cassini mission may be over, but information from the probe shows that it continues to provide new discoveries about Saturn and its moons,” said JPL planetary scientist Tom Nordheim, a co-author of the study and a member of the Cassini mission.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.