Astronomy Picture Of The Day: Phosphorus Discovered in Enceladus' Ocean

#NASA, #Space, #astronomy, #διάστημα,

Black Hole @konstructivizm

An international team led by geochemist Hao Jihua of China University has discovered traces of dissolved phosphorus in the ocean of Saturn's moon Enceladus. This element is one of the key building blocks of life, being a component of DNA, RNA, and cell membranes. Hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur had previously been found on Enceladus, but the absence of phosphorus cast doubt on the habitability of a subsurface ocean. This new discovery significantly increases the likelihood of biochemical processes occurring beneath the moon's surface. Beneath Enceladus' icy crust lies a deep, salty ocean where water temperatures can reach 1°C. Even without biological organisms, the discovery of phosphorus forces scientists to rethink the chemistry of subsurface worlds and expands their understanding of the limits of the habitable zone in the Solar System.