NMNH - Bennu, D - Encleadus Plumes, Image by NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

Image of surface of planet with rays light projecting out against black space.
January 29, 2025
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Image of surface of planet with rays light projecting out against black space.

Enceladus’ surface jets emitting plumes while backlit by the sun, as observed by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft.

These plumes reach hundreds of miles above the surface of Enceladus and likely contain material from an organic-rich subsurface ocean with salty, sodium-rich water, similar to what may have been found on Bennu’s parent body 4.5 billion years ago.

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