Enceladus and the Chemistry of Life Beneath Icy Moons

Laboratory experiments in Japan and Germany have recreated the subsurface ocean conditions of Enceladus, Saturn’s icy moon.

By cycling simple chemicals through heat and freezing—mimicking hydrothermal activity—scientists produced amino acids, key building blocks of life. The results match organic signatures detected by NASA’s Cassini mission, suggesting Enceladus may be actively generating complex chemistry today. 

This research strengthens the case for ocean worlds as promising targets in the search for extraterrestrial habitability.

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