What Makes Plumes on Enceladus - Matt Hedman

Enceladus, the tiny Saturnian satellite, issues jets of salty water from its south pole. But why? Gravitational tidal forces it seems...
02 August 2013
Presented byChris Smith.

ENCELADUS_PLUMES.jpg

Plumes of water ice are ejected kilometres above the surface of Saturn's tiny satellite Enceladus

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Enceladus, the tiny Saturnian satellite, regularly issues jets of salty water from its south pole that reaches kilometres in height above the moon's surface. But what drives this process? Gravitational tidal forces caused by an eccentric orbit, it seems. Cornell scientist Matt Hedman has analysed where in the Enceladus orbit the plumes are most pronounced...

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