Two studies: Enceladus becomes even more promising for life

Two new Science Advances studies suggest Saturn's moon Enceladus is a stronger candidate in the search for life. One shows plume droplets separate and concentrate salts and organics into individual ice grains, while the other found an Earth methane-producing microbe stays active under lab conditions mimicking the moon's chemistry.

• Plumes eject ocean water into space, allowing study without drilling ice
• Freezing droplets shatter into micron-sized grains with concentrated organics
• An Earth methanogen remained active in simulated Enceladus conditions
• Researchers suggest analyzing individual grains rather than average plume composition