Observations using JWST show water, probably from a subsurface ocean on Saturn’s icy moon, spewing into a large plume that extends far beyond the moon’s surface. This continuous outgassing results in a torus of water along Enceladus’s orbit and is so intense that the plume is the prime source of water across the Saturnian system.
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References
Iess, L. et al. The gravity field and interior structure of Enceladus. Science 344, 78–80 (2014). This paper, based on Doppler data from spacecraft flybys, indicates a regional subsurface sea in Enceladus, at depths of 30–40 km and extending up to southern latitudes.
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This is a summary of: Villanueva, G. L. et al. JWST molecular mapping and characterization of Enceladus’ water plume feeding its torus. Nat. Astron. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-023-02009-6 (2023).
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The immense water plume of Enceladus and its torus have been captured by JWST. Nat Astron 7, 1017–1018 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-023-02010-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-023-02010-z
