Enceladus

Article By:

Coates, Andrew J. Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College, London, United Kingdom.

Last reviewed:February 2019

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.231478

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• Enceladus, published January 2012:Download PDF Get Adobe Acrobat Reader

The sixth-largest moon of Saturn, known for its bright icy surface, active geysers, and astrobiological potential. Enceladus is the most reflective astronomical body in the solar system because it is covered in fresh, smooth ice. The sources of this ice are the geyser-like jets spewing from Enceladus's south polar region (Fig. 1). These geysers send various gases including water vapor, ice particles, and organic material into space, creating Saturn's E ring, with some of the material depositing back onto Enceladus's surface. The icy, gassy plumes emanate from relatively warm surface fissures known as tiger stripes, which are vents in the moon's crust connecting to a global subsurface saltwater ocean. Tidal interactions with Saturn, amplified by an orbital resonance with the moon Dione, primarily generate the internal heat that powers Enceladus' geological activity. See also: Geology; Geyser; Heat; Satellite (astronomy); Saturn; Tide; Water

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