Tiny salt crystals could tell us about a hidden ocean on Saturn's moon
Beyond EarthFrom: Phys.org · rewritten for kids by Osmo
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Enceladus is a moon of Saturn with an ocean hidden under kilometres of ice. Near its south pole, jets spray water and icy bits up into space. Scientists in a lab found that a kind of salt crystal can trap tiny pockets of water as it freezes. Salt crystals like this are expected to form on Enceladus. So one day, a spacecraft could study these crystals to learn what is in the hidden ocean, without drilling through the ice.
Big word
crystal: A solid with its tiny parts lined up in a neat repeating pattern, like salt or sugar grains.
Quiz time: circle the right answer
1. Where is the ocean on Enceladus?AUnder thick iceBOn top of a volcanoCInside a cloud
2. What sprays out near the south pole of Enceladus?AJets of water and icy bitsBLavaCSand
3. What can the salt crystals trap as they freeze?ATiny pockets of waterBAir bubbles from EarthCStarlight
Your turn
Ask a grown-up to help you dissolve salt in warm water and leave it on a sunny windowsill. In a few days, look for crystals and draw them.
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