As reported earlier in this blog, scientists working on the Cassini mission to Saturn and its environs discovered eruptions from the moon Enceladus, Now, the team led by Carolyn Porco has determined the eruptions come from geysers.
The geysers are in the area of the south pole, and the ejecta from the geysers account for the so-called "tiger stripes" on the surface. The ejecta also seems to feed the E-ring, a tenuous ring surrounding Saturn.
The geysers are likely driven by friction within Enceladus caused by the gravity of Saturn as it pulls on the body of the moon. Scientists also believe there is a huge ocean of water underneath the surface of Enceladus. With water, with energy, and possibly with organic compounds, the possibility of life exists.
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