Recipe for Life?
Wednesday Oct 01 2008
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Enceladus—a frozen moon of Saturn 310 miles wide in diameter—was recently photographed up close and personal by the passing spacecraft Cassini. In 2005, ice jets were observed erupting on the south pole of the tiny lunar satellite; since then, a subsequent flyby in March of 2008 found the following ingredients to be present within the icy eruption: water vapor, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and the organic molecules that are a prerequisite for life. On August 8th, 2008, Cassini passed by Enceladus at a distance of 30 miles, traveling at approximately 40,000 mph. The resulting images are the most detailed ever taken of a planetary surface, boasting a resolution of 1 pixel per seven meters. Scientists hope that the photographs can help explain what is happening beneath the surface.
This issue features a diagram by artist and designer Florian Brożek. The diagram illustrates the spacecraft Cassini, Enceladus, and a photograph of the ice jets in white and two shades of blue. Corresponding speeds, distances, ratios and units are given.
Correction: When the article was first published in the New York Times, the speed of Cassini was given as 64,000 mph instead of 64,000 km/h (approx. 40,000 mph).
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