View of Enceladus's surface, showing several tectonic and crater degradation styles. Taken by Cassini on 9 March 2005
A comprehensive map made by the Cassini-Solstice mission examining Saturn’s tiny, icy moon Enceladus has netted a surprising result. The little world is coated in super fine ice crystal estimated to be hundred of meters deep in some places:
This powder would likely make perfect skiing material, according to Paul Schenk of the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas. He presented findings by his research team Oct. 3 at the 2011 joint meeting of the American Astronomical Society’s Division for Planetary Sciences and the European Planetary Science Congress in Nantes, France.
The ice crystals are theorized to build up over millions of years from cryo-geysers. On earth a skier would sink to the bottom of such a powder pile, in fact the powder itself would be converted to firn and hard ice over time by gravity and weathering. But in Enceladus’ weak 0.11 G field and near absolute vacuum the powder can accumulate basically, forever.
Makes me wonder if, with the low gravity, it really would be perfect skiing material… would a powder that fine hold up a human in 0.11g?
One more for the list of tourist attractions to open up in space.
You need one hell of a long, steep run, but I suppose given that geometry it could work. Think of the jumps and tricks you could do man. Octuple twisting octuple flips.