Scientists also have discovered that Enceladus' vents seem to open and close sporadically, possibly because ice occasionally plugs the holes until pressure builds and the geysers erupt anew. The heat driving the cycle is due to gravitational forces acting on Enceladus from Saturn and neighbor moons, Porco said. "It can't be anything other than tidal flexing because we have no other possibilities," she said. The Cassini team also discovered that Enceladus, as well as Saturn's largest moon Titan, are contributing material for the planet's rings and dumping ionized gas from water vapor into Saturn's magnetosphere. "The plasma is a major driver of magnetospheric activity," said Christopher Russell, a Cassini scientist with the University of California, Los Angeles, who measured bends and other changes in Saturn's magnetic field over time. Cassini's next pass by Enceladus is scheduled for November 2009. "We are very excited and feel very fortunate to have stumbled upon such a fascinating place," Porco said. Related Links: HowStuffWorks.com: Saturn Explained |
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