Space radiation can produce some organic molecules detected on icy moons

A series of black and white and red molecules floating in a colorful background.

This article was originally published at Eos. The publication contributed the article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

New laboratory research suggests that some organic molecules previously detected in plumes erupting from Saturn’s moon Enceladus may be products of natural radiation, rather than originating from the moon’s subsurface ocean. This discovery complicates the assessment of the astrobiological relevance of these compounds.