A Science Advances study reanalyzing Cassini data finds heat flowing from both poles of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, implying a global, salty subsurface ocean sustained by tidal heating. The combination of liquid water, internal heat and detected chemicals (including phosphorus and hydrocarbons) makes Enceladus a top candidate for habitability. Scientists caution, however, that the ocean's age and long-term stability must be established to determine whether life could have arisen.
New Study Finds Saturn’s Moon Enceladus Could Maintain Habitable Conditions
A Science Advances study reanalyzing Cassini data finds heat flowing from both poles of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, implying a global, salty subsurface ocean sustained by tidal heating. The combination of liquid water, internal heat and detected chemicals (including phosphorus and hydrocarbons) makes Enceladus a top candidate for habitability. Scientists caution, however, that the ocean's age and long-term stability must be established to determine whether life could have arisen.
04:08, 08.11.2025Science
Evidence mounts that Enceladus may sustain life-friendly conditions
A new analysis of data from NASA's Cassini mission, published in Science Advances, suggests Saturn's moon Enceladus may be capable of supporting long-term habitable conditions. Researchers from the University of Oxford, the Southwest Research Institute and the Planetary Science Institute report that thermal emissions arise from both the north and south poles of the roughly 310-mile-diameter moon.
Lead author Georgina Miles of the Southwest Research Institute said the finding is important because the long-term availability of energy is a key factor in assessing habitability. Previous work had identified excess heat primarily at Enceladus' south pole; this study finds comparable heat flow at the north pole as well.
The team describes Enceladus as a "highly active world" with a global, salty subsurface ocean that is likely the source of the heat. Cassini first flagged Enceladus as ocean-bearing in 2005 when it observed towering plumes of water vapor erupting through fractures in the moon's icy crust.
"Understanding whether the moon's energy supply persists over long timescales is crucial to assessing its potential to support life," the authors write.
The study argues that the ocean's energy budget can be balanced and sustained by tidal heating: Saturn's gravity repeatedly flexes and compresses Enceladus as it orbits, converting orbital and mechanical energy into internal heat. That heat, combined with a global reservoir of liquid water and detected chemicals including phosphorus and hydrocarbons, strengthens the case that Enceladus is among the most promising places in the solar system to search for life beyond Earth.
However, the researchers emphasize caution. For life to arise, the subsurface ocean must have remained stable and active for long periods. Determining the age and persistence of that hidden ocean is a critical next step to evaluate whether conditions have been favorable long enough for life to develop.
What’s next: Follow-up observations, modeling, and future missions that sample plume material or map thermal and geologic activity over time will be needed to constrain the ocean's longevity and the moon's true habitability potential.