Jupiter's Moon Europa Has Enough Oxygen For Life

ALL THESE WORLDS ARE YOURS
EXCEPT EUROPA
ATTEMPT NO LANDINGS THERE
USE THEM TOGETHER, USE THEM IN PEACE

Seriously, am I the first one on here to think of this?

In regards to the OP -- I also read about this a day or two ago, what a great discovery! Makes sense with all that ice there would be at least some O2 in the atmosphere as well.

What's really intriguing is the idea of a liquid ocean underneath the ice, no reason to believe there wouldn't be basic or even complex lifeforms living there right now!

[edit on 10/18/2009 by Mortimer452]

What, at -60c on the surface in broad daylight?

Sorry, I am not excited.

how can you not be excited? surface temperature is not whats important here.

Orbiting a massive planet like jupiter is going to have tremendous tidal effects on Europa heating the interior where we suspect there may be water and O2 and life.

its like smashing and working a ball of puty. . . the more you warp and distort it the warmer it becomes. . . .

How can you not be excited

[edit on 19-10-2009 by constantwonder]

As posted by previous poster first thing that came to mind was 2010 the movie. Lets see what this produces.

Very interesting find and thanks for sharing. I have always been interested in Jupiter's ice laden moon, Europa. Who knows what is under that ice and is waiting to be discovered? Just the thought of finding complex life on another celestial body is enticing enough, but an opportunity to prove it, is groundbreaking for mankind.

However, can we expect NASA to be forthright about their findings to the public? We know about their shady disposition regarding the Moon landings and Mars exploration. Still so many questions and no concrete answers from the agency tasked with space exploration and discover? Their candor has been questioned for sometime, and hopefully, with the mission to Europa, the tide changes, and a definitive answer is given to address our questions. However, I am skeptical about NASA and its integrity regarding life beyond planet Earth.

Any idea when a new mission is going to be launched to Europa and what technology has been green lighted for the undertaking? It would have to be a submersible of sorts and something efficient enough to drill through miles of ice. I am interested to find out what technologies are in the development stages for such a difficult undertaking. Below, is a cool video showing a simulation of underwater exploration on Europa.

YouTube Link

This is getting to be an exciting time for space exploration! I can't wait to see what they find on that alien world. Hopefully, NASA spills the beans for once in their long and shady history.

[edit on 19-10-2009 by Jakes51]

This is really a stupid hopeful idea. This is because of the immense magnetic field of Jupiter would instantly kill any and all life that could wish to be. This is not a very scientific idea. Quit looking where it cannot be, is my advice concerning this science. Truly this is a very laughable idea how come scientists overlook critical data and make preposterous statements and commit work to something that cannot be found there period. These are people who think they are smart

Looks like Arthur C. Clark was right on the money with 2010.

Oxygen is a by-product of photosynthesis... which would mean there is some kind of plant life there.

Atmospheric or dissolved diatomic oxygen could then therefore support some kind of microbial or animal life.

I think you meant to say the radiation from Jupiter and not its magnetic field. Who's to say that some form of life couldn't adapt to the radiation? Besides, water also happens to be one of the most effective substances for radiation shielding. With a thick layer of ice and a possibly deep liquid ocean, the chance for some form of life certainly seems possible.

reply to post by Aquarius1

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I just saw a documentary on Europa and the possibility of it containing an ocean... although I would not expect it to be "twice that of all the oceans and rivers on earth combined", Europe is about 22% that of Earth in size, so the claim would entail and ocean thickness of that towards the outer core of Europa.... so essentially it would be a water moon with no real surface... but then again considering its the outer core which is hot it would explaim why the conditions are suitable enough for the existence of liquid water.

Very interesting. We shall wait for when the Europeans send out one of their probes to do an analysis on Europa. It should be launched sometime in 2012 I think.

Well if earth is anything to go by,If there is free dissolved oxygen in the water the anaerobic bacteria have been around for some time

reply to post by Angel One

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Angelone are you saying there is no way microbial life could exist on europa if all the ingredients are there,Jupiters magnetic field may be strong but i would bet if all elements are there microbial life would exist.

reply to post by 30_seconds

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Oxygen is a by product of photosynthesis but i doubt any microbial photosynthetic microbes are there let alone plants if they are ocated under a thick ice sheet,what it most likely is,is oxygen producing bacteria

doesnt really matter with the ice being 10-30km deep we have no way to get to the water. Mr greenberg thinks the ice is only a few km deep for the only reason that he wants it to be. Theres no evidence its thin all the evidence points to it being thick. We need to find an impact crater less than 1000 years old or send a probe to radar image europa to be sure.

tantalising but just out of reach.

Way to go Mortimer... of course Europa has life (ha). Go read 2010 by Arthur C. Clarke and then we can talk about life on that wet little moon. I do agree with the idea of the post, it is a very likely place, big gravity, water, potential heat source emanating from the core. I would be surprised if there wasn't something there.

What does Europa's surface temperature have to do with anything? Nobody has yet seriously asserted that life may exist on Europa's surface.

If the ocean is liquid water (and there is evidence to support that it is liquid water), then the ocean must be relatively warm.


[edit on 10/19/2009 by Soylent Green Is People]

Why wouldnt NASA (Or ESA if they get there first) say?
Because some fish on Europa would threaten Norways economy and they would declare war?
Or because God didn't say anything on making dinosaurs, and religion would break down confronted with unignorable scientific facts?

reply to post by Angel One

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You are basing that on human survival laws. Maybe a human or anything else from our planet wont live there, but that doesnt mean nothing exists there.


Simple example the way you put it: Because we cant live underwater, that means that nothing can live underwater right?

What im saying is there could be life there that thrives off jupiters magnetic field but will die on our planet.

Hmm, some bacteria like uranium, quote: "Perhaps most fascinating are the feeding habits of the new organisms. They depend not on sunlight, but on radiation from uranium ores for their existence."

link: www.scienceagogo.com...

The thin crust, deep oceans also creates thermal layers were energy and nutrients can be circulated:



I would take it one step further and say that all the brown "gunk" you see may be life, right in our faces.

reply to post by jra

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Yeah, this got me thinking that maybe MRIs are now lethal.


Magnetic fields are not lethal to humans nor are all radiating energies, some types of radiation is deadly to most types of life yet Europa's icy surface would protect what's under it very well. Far better then Earth's atmosphere anyway and life seems to fair well against the Sun's radiation.

Furthermore the gravity from Jupiter is not the only factor at work here warming the moon. Astronomers seem to forget about the fact that Jupiter is emitting much more energy that it receives from the Sun. In other words, Jupiter emits a lot of energy in the form of EM waves some of which can warm the moons orbiting the planet. Science is slowly catching up to reality.