Enceladus: A Moon That Sprays Water Into Space

Enceladus is a small moon of Saturn, only about 310 miles across.
Despite its size, it has one of the most reflective surfaces in the solar system.
The surface is covered in bright ice, bouncing back almost all sunlight.
Enceladus shoots geysers of water vapor and ice particles into space.
These plumes come from cracks near its south pole, nicknamed “tiger stripes.”
The material from these geysers helps form Saturn’s E ring.
Beneath its icy crust lies a global ocean of liquid water.
The ocean may be heated by tidal forces from Saturn’s gravity.
Cassini spacecraft flew through the plumes and detected organic molecules.
Enceladus is now seen as one of the best places to search for extraterrestrial life.