Prospect of life on Saturn’s moons rises after discovery of organic substances

Scientists studying water vapour plume from Enceladus find presence of complex molecules that could harbour life

The likelihood that one of Saturn's moons may harbour life has risen, experts say, after finding an array of carbon-based substances being spewed out of Enceladus.

The sixth largest of Saturn's moons, Enceladus has become one of the leading contenders in the search for bodies that could harbour extraterrestrial life, with the Cassini mission - which ended in 2017 - revealing the moon has a plume of water ice grains and vapours erupting from beneath the surface at its south pole.