Postcards from the Edge of the Galaxy

NASA just discovered something amazing in our own Milky Way Galaxy: One of Saturn’s moons may have the building blocks for life.

iss069e018575 (June 9, 2023) — — “NASA astronaut and Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Woody Hoburg points the camera toward himself and takes an out-of-this-world “space-selfie” during a six-hour and three-minute spacewalk to install a roll-out solar array on the International Space Station’s truss structure.” (Photo: NASA Johnson)

Could one of Saturn’s moons sustain life?

Enceladus, one of Saturn’s many moons, resides in the outer reaches of our solar system, approximately 1.3 billion kilometers (800 million miles) away from Earth. It orbits Saturn within the planet’s distinctive ringed landscape, alongside other moons like Titan and Mimas.

Saturn’s moon may be tiny compared to Earth, but its location has offered scientists a wealth of discoveries, including the presence of intriguing geysers and an ocean hidden beneath its icy surface.

Last week, NASA scientists brought some exciting news to the national conversation about space exploration and discovery.

“NASA finds key building block for life in a moon of Saturn,” announced PHYS.ORG. “Scientists have discovered that phosphorus, a key building block of life, lies in the ocean beneath the icy surface of Saturn’s moon Enceladus. The finding was based on a review of data collected by NASA’s Cassini probe, and was published Wednesday in the prestigious journal Nature.”

Saturn’s moon Enceladus has a fascinating environment. While it is a small moon, measuring approximately 500 kilometers (310 miles) in…