Enceladus' Polar Plume Fills Saturn's E-Ring

In March of 2006, the Cassini spacecraft photographed plumes of ice particles escaping at high velocity from the south pole of Enceladus. This mysterious hotzone at Enceladus' south pole appears to be geologically active spewing geyser-like fountains hundreds of miles into space. These plumes of water vapor and other gases feed material into Saturn' vast E-ring effectively creating a localized yet tenuous atmosphere.

Enceladus though only 300 miles in diameter, is the brightest object in our solar system as it is covered with snowy water ice. Quite possibly, an mechanism identical to that of the hollow earth which produces Earth's auroral plumes, also generates the icy geysers at Enceladus' south pole.



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