New organics found on Saturn moon Enceladus
An international team reports new types of organic molecules detected in fresh icy grains from geysers on Saturn’s moon Enceladus, based on reanalysis of NASA Cassini data from a 2008 high-speed flyby. Published Oct. 1, 2025 in Nature Astronomy, the study identifies compounds in young plume particles that researchers say originate from Enceladus’ subsurface ocean, strengthening assessments of the moon’s habitability and bolstering calls for follow-up missions.
Science
Space
🔍 Key Facts
- Study published in Nature Astronomy and reported Oct. 1, 2025.
- Researchers reanalyzed Cassini cosmic-dust-analyzer impacts on fresh plume ice grains that struck the instrument at ~40,000 mph during a 2008 flyby.
- Team members include lead author Nozair Khawaja (Free University of Berlin) and University of Washington scientist Fabian Klenner; authors say organics likely originate from Enceladus’ subsurface ocean, increasing its habitability potential.