Saturn's tiny ice-covered moon Enceladus isn't only suspected to hold a liquid ocean beneath its icy crust — it's also covered in an astonishing amount of fuzzy, snow-like material, puzzling scientists.
According to a new study published in the journal Icarus, the tiny moon may have been far more tectonically active over time than previously thought, with snow cannon-like plumes erupting from massive icy geysers, depositing vast amounts of particles in the form of low-density regolith on its surface. Meanwhile, smaller and lighter particles are blasted into outer space, contributing to Saturn's massive rings — a fascinating portrait of a desolate alien world.
"The material we measured on the surface of Enceladus was not generated from a planetary atmosphere the way snow might imply," lead author Emily Martin, planetary scientist at the National Air and Space Museum in DC, told Futurism in an email. "However, the way in which Enceladus's icy plume particles fall to the surface is reminiscent of snow and I think an appropriate analogy."
There's also a chance that Enceladus' snow isn't exactly the same as the fluffy substance found here on Earth.
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