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Scientists have discovered the existence of complex carbon molecules in the waters of Enceladus. 19659004] Until now, such molecules had only been found on Earth and in some meteorites. It is thought that it was formed by reactions between water and warm rocks in an underground ocean of Enceladus
although this is not a sign of 39 existence, it indicates that the sixth largest moon of Saturn may be able to house organisms that already exist. "These huge molecules contain a complex network usually made up of hundreds of atoms," Frank Postberg the author of the study published this week in the journal Nature . "It is the first detection of the history of organisms of this complexity in an extraterrestrial aquatic environment."
On Earth, these molecules are usually created biologically, but may not be the case on this moon of Saturn. "They are precursors necessary for life," says Postberg. But regarding the discovery of Enceladus, "we do not know yet whether these organisms are biologically irrelevant or whether they are signs of life or prebiotic chemistry."
For life to exist, it is (hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur)
phosphorus and sulfur have never been found in terms of water, of energy, organic matter (carbon compounds) and a particular group of elements.
Cbadini was never designed to detect life, in fact, the space mission was launched even before scientists discovered any particular water sources emerging from the south pole of this moon of Saturn .
The probe disintegrated in 2017, after spending 13 years exploring Saturn – and having documented, in 2005, the existence of frozen water geysers. is that there is already a technology on Earth able to distinguish if the molecules found on Saturn are of biological origin. Therefore, "the next logical step is to return soon to Enceladus to find out if there is extraterrestrial life there," says Postberg
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