• Complex organic molecules have been discovered originating from one of Saturn’s moons, Enceladus, adding to its potential to support lifeIt is the sixth-largest moon of Saturn.
• It is about a tenth of that of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan.
• Enceladus is mostly covered by fresh, clean ice, making it one of the most reflective bodies of the Solar System.

• The Cassini spacecraft first flew close to the ice-covered moon in 2005 as part of a mission to gather data on Saturn that will be analysed for years to come.
• The Enceladus findings come after data showed organic compounds on the surface of Mars and seasonal fluctuations of atmospheric methane, marking some of the strongest evidence ever that the earth’s neighbour may have harboured life.

• Cassini has previously detected lightweight organic molecules at Enceladus but the newly found fragments are much larger.
• The research team had identified fragments of large organic molecules in ice grains that were ejected from geysers through cracks in the moon’s icy exterior.

• Such large molecules can only be created by complex chemical processes including those related to life.

• It is the first-ever detection of complex organics coming from an extra-terrestrial water world.

The Hindu