New Insights into Cosmic Ice Challenge Earthly Water Concepts
New research suggests that ice in space, such as on Saturn's moon Enceladus, can be partly crystalline, challenging previous beliefs that space ice was purely amorphous due to extremely low temperatures. Simulations and X-ray diffraction measurements indicate that up to 25% of space ice may have crystalline structures, which has implications for understanding planetary formation, space materials, and the origins of life.