Mountain Views News          Saturday, April 12, 2014

OCEAN FOUND INSIDE SATURN MOON 
THE WORLD AROUND USMountain Views-News Saturday, April 12, 2014 B2OCEAN FOUND INSIDE SATURN MOON 
THE WORLD AROUND USMountain Views-News Saturday, April 12, 2014 B2 
NASA’s Cassini spacecraft and the Deep Space Network have uncovered evidence that 
Saturn’s moon Enceladus harbors a large underground ocean of liquid water, furthering 
scientific interest in that moon as a potential home to extraterrestrial microbes. 

Researchers theorized the presence of an interior reservoir of water in 2005 when Cassini 
discovered water vapor and ice spewing from vents near the moon’s south pole. The new data 
provide the first geophysical measurements of the internal structure of Enceladus, consistent 
with the existence of a hidden ocean. 

“The way we deduce gravity variations is a concept in physics called the Doppler effect, 
the same principle used with a speed-measuring radar gun,” said Sami Asmar of NASA’s 
Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., a coauthor of the paper. “As the spacecraft 
flies by Enceladus, its velocity is perturbed by an amount that depends on variations in the 
gravity field that we’re trying to measure. We see the change in velocity as a change in radio 
frequency, received at our ground stations here all the way across the solar system.”

 The gravity measurements suggest a large, possibly regional, ocean about 6 miles deep, 
beneath an ice shell about 19 to 25 miles thick. The subsurface ocean evidence points to 
Enceladus as one of the most likely places in our solar system to host microbial life.

 “Material from Enceladus’ south polar jets contains salty water and organic molecules, 
the basic chemical ingredients for life,” said Linda Spilker, Cassini’s project scientist at JPL. 
“Their discovery expanded our view of the ‘habitable zone’ within our solar system and in 
planetary systems of other stars. This new validation that an ocean of water underlies the jets 
furthers understanding about this intriguing environment.” 

LUNAR ECLIPSE AND MARS CLOSEST APPROACH APRIL 14

 On the night of April 14th, two significant and spectacular events will take place 
simultaneously, as Mars reaches its closest point to Earth while the Moon will be totally 
eclipsed. This particular lunar eclipse is expected to draw unusual interest because it will 
be visible from the entire United States, and also because the reddish eclipsed Moon will 
float very near the striking blue star Spica, as well as hovering to the left of orange Mars. 
Altogether, the eclipse will be part of a dramatic sky-spectacle.

 To viewers in Los Angeles, the eclipse will begin at 9:53 p.m., when the left-hand side 
of the Moon begins to enter the penumbra, or partial shadow, of the Earth. At 10:58 p.m., 
it will start to enter the umbra, or full shadow. At 12:06 a.m., it will be fully covered by the 
umbra. 12:45 a.m. is the time of greatest eclipse, and by 1:24 a.m. the Moon will have moved 
completely out of the umbra on its way to being completely free from shadow by 3:37 a.m. 
All times are in Pacific Daylight Time.

 By coincidence, during the eclipse Mars will be making its closest approach to Earth in over four years. Mars orbits the Sun at a speed of 15 miles per second—very similar to Earth’s 18.5 
miles per second. The similarity means that after the two orbits align, it takes fully 26 months for them to meet again.

 For those wishing to watch these events online, the Slooh Observatory will present them in real time starting with coverage of Mars at 7 pm PDT from Slooh’s telescopes off the west coast 
of Africa in the Canary Islands and transitioning to coverage of the total lunar eclipse starting at 11 pm PDT. Viewers can watch on Slooh.com or by downloading the Slooh iPad app. Viewers 
can ask questions during the show by using hashtag #Slooh. 

You can contact Bob Eklund at: b.eklund@MtnViewsNews.com. 

This diagram illustrates the possible interior of Saturn’s moon Enceladus based on a gravityinvestigation by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft and NASA’s Deep Space Network, reported inApril 2014. The gravity measurements suggest an ice outer shell and a low density, rocky corewith a regional water ocean sandwiched in between at high southern latitudes. 


In Celebration of EarthDayEarth Day 
The City Of Sierra Madre's EENRC 
PRESENTS: 
W ith Spec ial 
For Residents of 
Sierra Madre 
COST GIVEAWAYCl 26l 2Film Maker, 
G uest Speaker : George LangworthyGeorge Langworthy 
Sunday April 27, 2014 8 pm 
Sierra Madre 
City Council Chambers 
We’d like to hear from you!
What’s on YOUR Mind? 
Contact us at: editor@mtnviewsnews.com or www.facebook.com/
mountainviewsnews AND Twitter: #mtnviewsnews 
MPOOMPOST GIVEAWAY 
Saturday, AprithSaturday, Apri6th 
9:00 am9:00 am --NOONNOON 
Sierra Vista Park 
611 E. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA 
If you are unable to make it on this date, you are 
invited to attend the San Marino Compost Giveaway on 
Saturday, March 8 at the Lacy Park West end Parking Lot. 
Bring Your ID Or Athens Bill 
Self Serve Event 
Bring Sturdy Containers 
No Plastic Bags Allowed 
Shovels Will Be Provided 
30 Gallon Limit During First Hour (no limit 
from 10:00 am to noon), while supplies last 
Athens’ compost is a blend of organic material, including food waste. It is OMRI Listed®,Athens’ compost is a blend of organic material, including food waste. It is OMRI Listed®, 
licensed by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and approved for use inlicensed by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and approved for use in 
agricultural operations certified organic under the USDA National Organic Program.agricultural operations certified organic under the USDA National Organic Program. 
FREEFREEFREE 
COMPOSTCOMPOSTCOMPOST