Nov. 7 (UPI) — Saturn’s moon Enceladus might be capable of supporting life, according to new data collected by NASA’s Cassini mission and detailed in a recent study published in the journal *Science Advances*.
Enceladus is one of the most promising of Saturn’s 274 moons when it comes to the potential for extraterrestrial life. Data suggest that the moon is capable of long-term stability necessary to enable life to develop, the University of Oxford announced Friday.
Researchers from the University of Oxford, the Southwest Research Institute, and the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona, found that heat is flowing from both the north and south poles of Enceladus, which measures about 310 miles in diameter.
“Enceladus is a key target in the search for life outside of Earth,” said Georgina Miles of the Southwest Research Institute and lead author of the study. “Understanding the long-term availability of its energy is key to determining whether it can support life.”
Previous studies had detected heat loss only at the moon’s south pole, but this new research reveals similar heat flow activity also at the north pole.
“This finding confirms that the icy moon is emitting far more heat than would be expected if it were simply a passive body, strengthening the case that it could support life,” the researchers said.
Enceladus is described as a “highly active world” with a global, salty subsurface ocean believed to be the source of its internal heat. The presence of water, heat, and chemicals such as phosphorus and hydrocarbons makes Enceladus one of the most promising places in the solar system for life to have evolved independently from Earth.
NASA’s Cassini spacecraft identified Enceladus as having an active ocean in 2005, when it discovered large plumes of water vapor rising from the ocean through fractures in the moon’s icy surface, according to Space.com.
For the subsurface ocean to support life, it must have balanced energy gains and losses to maintain a stable environment. This balance is achieved and maintained by tidal heating caused by Saturn’s gravity, the study explains.
As Enceladus orbits Saturn, the planet’s gravity compresses and stretches the moon, generating internal heat. If too much energy were produced, the ocean’s activity would increase and drastically alter the environment. Conversely, too little energy would allow the ocean to freeze, slowing or stopping surface activity.
The discovery of heat activity at both poles is promising, but researchers emphasize that further study is needed to determine the age of the hidden ocean beneath Enceladus’ surface. Understanding its longevity will help scientists learn if the environment has been stable long enough to support the development of life.
https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2025/11/07/uk-saturn-moon-life/5091762549082/