Q. What is ‘Enceladus’, recently mentioned in the news?
Answer:
Saturn's ocean moon
Notes: Enceladus, one of Saturn's 146 moons, reveals potential for life with its liquid ocean, carbon-based chemistry, and energy from tidal heating. NASA's Cassini-Huygens mission, spanning 2004 to 2017, discovered plumes of water erupting from Enceladus, providing insights into its subsurface ocean's composition. The presence of life-supporting phosphate in ice grains further strengthens the case. Mimas and Titan, Saturn's other moons, also show signs of life, expanding the search for extraterrestrial habitats.