E.T. could be hiding in our Solar System, new study suggests

Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus isn’t just another frozen speck in space—it’s quickly becoming one of the top contenders for finding life beyond Earth, according to new research.

The Nature Astronomy study centers around a salty global ocean, warmed by geothermal activity, that lies beneath Enceladus’ crust.

• Previous research has found that jets of water are bursting from Enceladus’ underground ocean, and shooting straight into space.
• But, according to the new review of data from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, these geysers also spit out organic compounds that represent the chemical ingredients for life, meaning Enceladus’ ocean could potentially be habitable.

However…There’s a wide gap between habitable and inhabited.

• Enceladus having water, heat, and organics—the big three elements necessary for life—doesn’t prove that life actually exists there. Confirmation of that fact would require a future mission to scoop up and analyze samples from the moon’s geysers directly.
• But scientists say their research is important, even if it confirms there’s no life on Enceladus—since that would raise serious questions about why life isn’t present when the right conditions are there.
• “It would mean that life needs something more,” said study author Nozair Khawaja.

Zoom out: Enceladus isn’t the only celestial body keeping scientists busy in the hunt for extraterrestrial life. Last month, NASA’s Perseverance rover found a Martian rock with minerals that likely formed in water, bolstering the case that Mars was once habitable. And Jupiter’s moon Europa is another tantalizing target with its sealed underground sea.