Phosphorus Found in Enceladus' Ocean Plumes - Key Building Block of Life Detected on Saturn's Moon

Scientists have discovered the presence of phosphorus in the massive plumes of water being ejected from the southern regions of Saturn’s moon Enceladus. Phosphorus is a chemical element essential for life and often considered a building block for life. The plumes themselves are thought to be caused by water from a subsurface ocean within Enceladus. The discovery of phosphate in Enceladus’ plumes and its existence within the moon’s subsurface ocean means that other icy ocean moons in our solar system likely have phosphorus within their oceans.