spacetoday.net: space news from around the webin association with SpaceNews


Enceladus plumes linked to tidal friction
Posted: Thu, May 17, 2007, 6:39 AM ET (1039 GMT)
Enceladus seen by Cassini in July 2005 (NASA/JPL) Frictional heating along fault lines on the surface of Saturn's moon Enceladus may be the explanation for plumes of vapor emitted by the moon, scientists said this week. In a paper published in the current issue of the journal Nature, scientists said that tidal forces created by the moon's eccentric orbit around Saturn cause fault lines in the icy moon's outer shell to flex, generating heat through friction. That heat causes ice to sublimate, and in turn escapes in the form of plumes that have been detected by NASA's Cassini spacecraft. The mechanism doesn't require the presence of liquid water to generate the plumes, but does suggest that a liquid water ocean exists below the moon's icy shell, allowing the shell to move enough to generate the required frictional heating.
<<previous article   next article>>
news in brief
Senate hearing raises doubts of Artemis
Posted: Sat, Sep 6 8:50 AM ET (1250 GMT)

NASA names new associate administrator
Posted: Sat, Sep 6 8:46 AM ET (1246 GMT)

President Trump moves Space Command HQ to Alabama
Posted: Sat, Sep 6 8:44 AM ET (1244 GMT)

news links
Saturday, September 13
SpaceX, Northrop Grumman to launch supplies to ISS
Spectrum News — 5:52 am ET (0952 GMT)
Cornell-led space tech startup acquired by Pasteur Labs
Cornell Univ. — 5:51 am ET (0951 GMT)
How China Is Transforming Space Power
The Diplomat — 5:46 am ET (0946 GMT)


about spacetoday.net   ·   info@spacetoday.net   ·   mailing list