subsurface oceans

New research indicates that Earth microbes can survive under simulated conditions of the ocean beneath the ice of Saturn's moon Enceladus, suggesting life there is not out of the question. Scientists see the finding as encouraging for the search for life beyond Earth, since Enceladus's subsurface ocean is considered one of the most promising places to look.

New research suggests icy moons in the outer solar system could retain their subsurface oceans even if they are shattered by large impacts, with fragments potentially holding on to liquid water. The finding has implications for the search for life, as it widens the range of places where habitable conditions might survive dramatic collisions and reassembling events over billions of years.