In 2005, NASA's Cassini Saturn orbiter took images of Saturn's moon Enceladus, and discovered geysers blasting particles of water ice into space from fractures near the south pole. The observation led to speculation that there is a vast ocean tucked between the moon's core and its icy shell. Previously, the orbiter detected dihydrogen, methane and carbon dioxide at unexpected levels, leaving astrobiologists ruminating over the possibility that Enceladus could sustain life. But there were debates over the presence of methane.
Now, a new study takes the possibility of habitability one step further. Published in the journal Nature Astronomy, astronomers say there is strong evidence that hydrogen cyanide is present on Enceladus which is an essential molecule in forming amino acids, one of the most basic ingredients in life.
