Interesting Stuff Around Saturn

The Cassini mission to Saturn's remarkable domain continues to return tantalyzing data. Lately, it has found evidence of organic chemicals in the water vapor rich plumes of the geysers around the south pole of the moon Enceladus.

Further, the probe has found the surface temperature around the vents from which the geysers erupt, while still cold, is substantially warmer than the rest of the surface. That leaves open the possibility that an ocean of liquid water may exist under the ice that covers the moon. Put heat, liquid water, and organic compounds in the same place and wait long enough, scientists think, and life may emerge.

Of course, Saturn's huge moon Titan is also in the running as a possible abode of life. Jupiter's moons Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto are also possibilities. And then there's Mars. If life has in fact developed in several places in our Solar System, the presumption of science will have to become that the universe is absolutely humming, teeming with life.