Some of the most intriguing places where life could thrive in our solar system are moons. Liquid water oceans beneath thick ice crusts could potentially support life, and are thought to be on Jupiter's icy moons. NASA is developing missions to travel to distant moons and look for evidence of life after new evidence supports the habitability of Enceladus.
An important ingredient for life is found in the ocean of the moon. It is found in bones and teeth and is used in the creation ofRNA andDNA. The researchers studied the data from the probe and created a model of the ocean.
The approach to habitability has changed. It used to be more common to look for planets with liquid water on the surface of the stars. If you look for oceans which may form beneath the surface on colder worlds, you can find the ingredients for life.
The quest for extraterrestrial habitability in the solar system has shifted focus as we now look for the building blocks for life, including organic molecule, ammonia, sulfur-bearing compounds as well as the chemical energy needed to support life. Phosphorus is an interesting case because previous work suggested that it could be hard to find in the ocean of Enceladus.
We need to go back to Enceladus to find out if the ocean is actually inhabited.
There is a chance that a NASA program could help make this happen. A group of scientific instruments has been created by the Ocean Worlds Life Surveyor project to analyze liquid samples. One possibility is to fly a craft through the water that erupts from the moon's surface.
The co-principal investigator of the OWLS project said, "How do you take a sprinkling of ice a billion miles from Earth and determine - in the one chance you have - whether there's evidence of life?" We wanted to create the most powerful instrument system to look for both chemical and biological signs of life.
There is a recommended video.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
