Enceladus Ice Fields

Enceladus Ice Fields
Enceladus Ice Fields Saturn’s moon Enceladus is an icy world whose surface is ever-changing. A subsurface ocean of liquid water creates tectonic activity on its surface, causing water to spew from geysers and marking the surface with a mosaic of fractures, ridges, and valleys. When Enceladus was named in 1789, its tectonic qualities were not yet known; it simply appeared as a point of light orbiting the planet Saturn. The moon’s name turned out to be surprisingly fitting. Enceladus is named after a giant from Greek mythology. The giant Enceladus was said to cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions on Earth as he shifted beneath the ground. We now know that these phenomena are caused by the Earth’s own tectonic activity. Although the great icy fissures of Enceladus are not caused by the movements of a giant beneath its surface, what lies beneath the ice is no less intriguing. Enceladus’ subsurface oceans are one of the places in our solar system most likely to hold some form of life.Fraser Hagan is a graphic designer from Vancouver, Canada, and is a member of The Planetary Society. Fraser Hagan