What the Heck Is This?

News
By Robert Roy Britt
published

Go ahead, take a wild guess today. If somebody doesn't think "UFO" I'll be darned.

This object is far out, for sure, but not that far out. Can't give you any more hints.

See the full-size image and description below.

The image shows plumes of water ice shooting out from many locations along "tiger stripe"features near the south pole of Saturn's moon Enceladus. The stripes are fissures that spray icy particles, water vapor and organic compounds, NASA explained in releasing this image this week.

The image reveals more than 30 jets of varying sizes — more than 20 that hadn't been identified before.

The new research could have implications in the search for life. Read more here.

Plumes large and small spray water ice out from many locations along the famed "tiger stripes" near the south pole of Saturn's moon Enceladus. The tiger stripes are fissures that spray icy particles, water vapor and organic compounds. This mosaic was created from two high-resolution images that were captured by the narrow-angle camera when NASA's Cassini spacecraft flew past Enceladus and through the jets on Nov. 21, 2009. (Image credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute)

Got a strange or interesting photo related to science, nature or technology? What the Heck, send it to me, and maybe I'll use it. Or follow me on Twitter, or Facebook.

Robert Roy Britt
Robert Roy Britt

Robert is an independent health and science journalist and writer based in Phoenix, Arizona. He is a former editor-in-chief of Live Science with over 20 years of experience as a reporter and editor. He has worked on websites such as Space.com and Tom's Guide, and is a contributor on Medium, covering how we age and how to optimize the mind and body through time. He has a journalism degree from Humboldt State University in California.