Enceledus

Enceladus is the sixth-largest moon of Saturn, with a diameter of approximately 500 kilometers. It was discovered by William Herschel in 1789 and is named after the giant Enceladus from Greek mythology. Enceladus is primarily composed of water ice, with a small rocky core. Its surface is covered in ice, and it is one of the most reflective bodies in the Solar System, with an albedo of about 99%. Enceladus is geologically active, with geysers of water vapor and ice particles erupting from its south polar region. These geysers are thought to be caused by tidal heating, as Enceladus is subjected to gravitational forces from Saturn and other moons. The water vapor and ice particles from these geysers form a diffuse E-ring around Saturn. Enceladus is also believed to have a subsurface ocean of liquid water, which could potentially harbor life. The Cassini spacecraft, which orbited Saturn from 2004 to 2017, provided much of the current knowledge about Enceladus. Future missions, such as NASA's Enceladus Life Finder (ELF) and ESA's Enceladus Explorer, are planned to further explore this intriguing moon.