Saturn Moon Has Mostly Oxygen Atmosphere

Posted by on November 27th, 2010

The Cassini space probe recently scanned the atmosphere of Saturn’s second largest moon, Rhea, and discovered that it is comprised of 70% oxygen and 30% carbon dioxide.  In the past the Hubble Space Telescope has detected thin oxygen layers on Europa and Ganymede around Jupiter, but this is the first time oxygen has been seen directly in the atmosphere of another world. Scientists are not holding out hope for life on Rhea at this point though.

“All evidence from Cassini indicates Rhea is too cold and devoid of liquid water necessary for life as we know it,” Teolis told them.

[New Scientist]

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