The James Webb Space Telescope has primarily been used by researchers to study far-off galaxies and cosmic structures, but the NASA-ESA satellite can also reveal new information about our own solar system.
The unique water system on Enceladus, in particular, is a possible primary subject for present and future Webb observations.
James Webb Discovery
Enceladus, the sixth biggest moon of Saturn and the 19th largest in the solar system, has just been found to be emitting a “surprisingly large” water plume by NASA scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope.
Even though Enceladus is only 313 miles across, the water vapor plume extends over 6,000 miles.
Enceladus is a fascinating subject for observation and scientific study because the moon has a vast saltwater ocean that is sandwiched between its ice exterior and rocky interior.
In craters known as “tiger stripes,” ice particles combined with water vapor and organic substances are released from volcanoes in a manner similar to geysers.
The newly discovered water plume is nearly a “shocking” discovery, as NASA’s Geronimo Villanueva emphasizes, as it is more than 20 times greater than the size of the moon from which it originated.
The southern pole of Enceladus is where the plume originates, but it spreads far from there.
Aside from its length, the water plume’s rate of water vapour emission—about 79 gallons per second—is equally interesting.
According to NASA, the plume could fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool in a matter of hours as opposed to the more than two weeks it would take a garden hose to do the same thing on Earth.
The water plume travels along Enceladus’ surface after departing the moon, which travels 33 hours around Saturn. The moon and its water emission leave a donut-shaped halo in their trail as they orbit the gas giant.
The “E-ring,” the outermost and broadest ring in Saturn’s intricate and interesting ring system, is situated next to the “watery donut.”
According to data gathered by the telescope, around 30% of the water spewed from Enceladus remains in orbit around Saturn, while the remaining 70% escapes to feed the wider “Saturnian system of water.”
In the upcoming years, NASA scientists will continue to study Enceladus using Webb’s potent sensors, gathering fresh information and making new discoveries to prepare for future research missions.
To read our blog on “6 enormous galaxies found by James Webb Space Telescope,” click here.
