Astronomers now have increased interest in the massive sheets of water that are being expelled into space from the surface of Saturn's moon, Enceladus. This geological activity of ice and water vapor shooting from the surface of the moon was first thought to be geysers that are spewing material hundred of miles above the surface and into space. 

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Enceladus was also first believed to be a dead and cold natural satellite until the Cassini spacecraft observed some vast amounts of water shooting into space in 2005. Ever since, astronomers have concluded that these events on the sixth largest moon of Saturn were caused by active geysers. 

However, this new study suggests that most of these eruptions that were analayzed and observed by scientists are now merely illusions that are generated by sheets of water.

The events are somehow connected to four fractures on the southern polar region of Enceladus called tiger stripes. These features were also named after Earth bound cities such as Cairo, Baghdad, Damascus and Alexandria where researchers now believe that the water from these eruptions links to a vast ocean underneath the moon. 

Scientists looked back at Cassini images and studied them once more in order to understand these jets and the process and nature of these eruptions. In the images, a faint glow is seen on the background behind the water jets suggesting that these eruptions were not geysers.

According to Joseph Spitale from the Planetary Science Institute, this suddenly became evident when these tiny little jets looked really slippery in nature and there were broader areas of emissions that could not be jets as they were just a huge fuzz.

Model simulations were used to study the curtain eruptions and resulted in demonstrations that reveal that the eruptions were confirmed as sheets of water as opposed to jets of water from geysers. Upon closer observation, these outbursts were apparently viewed "sideways" that resulted in curtain folds that made the sheets appear to be concentratred bursts from geysers.

Spitale provides an alternative view from the prior conclusion made by scientists, he says that this viewing direction is pivotal since this is where the phantom jets appear. When the images are roatated, the perspective of the south pole of Enceladus appears and then disappears, creating the illusion.

It is still likely that jets and geysers can exist on the moon's surface but these eruptions are most likely originating from these tiger stripe features. Cassini images that were taken from space were also concluded to be walls of water seen at an angle rather than jets.

This study is published in the journal Nature. 

TagsSaturn, saturn moon enceladus, Enceladus, Geysers, geysers water vapor jets saturn moon enceladus, water vapor jets enceladus, cassini