Another moon may be home to life

Space scientists have found clues that a fresh place in the solar system may be home to life. They analysed ice volcanoes on a moon of Saturn called Enceladus and discovered powerful new evidence for liquid water beneath its surface.

NASA's Cassini spacecraft flew through the icy plumes and detected negatively charged water molecules - a clear sign that there is an underground sea.

Back home this short-lived type of ion is produced where water is moving, such as in waterfalls or crashing ocean waves.

It was known that the jets contained water but it was not clear before whether this might be liquid.

Cassini scientist Andrew Coates, from University College London's Mullard Space Science Laboratory, led the team that made the new breakthrough, reported in the journal Icarus.

He said the evidence gathered by Cassini pointed to other constituents for life, such as carbon, plus a source of heat to keep the water liquid. It has been suggested that this energy source is the tidal pull of giant Saturn.

Dr Coates said: "While it's no surprise that there is water there, these short-lived ions are extra evidence for sub-surface water. And where there's water, carbon and energy, some of ...