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Life on Enceladus
Evidence from Cassini, a robot spacecraft, suggests that there are oceans of hot water on Saturn’s icy moon, Enceladus. Might the oceans be home to alien life? In this activity students use their knowledge of the behaviour of water in its liquid and solid states to weigh up the evidence for and against the presence of liquid water on Enceladus. They then decide if it is worth sending a second spacecraft to look for alien life on this icy moon.
The presentation reviews the difference in particle arrangements in a typical substance in its solid and liquid states and introduce one theory of the origin of life on Earth. In the main activity students work in groups to study evidence cards around the room and decide whether each piece of evidence is strong or weak evidence for or against the conclusion that there is hot water on Enceladus.
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Life on Enceladus - presentation 4.54 MB
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