Europa is the best place in the solar system to find Earth-like life, scientists say

Richard Greenberg of the University of Arizona proposes that the best place for us to find complex life in the solar system(other than earth, obviously) is Europa.

New research suggests that there is enough oxygen available in the subsurface ocean of Europa to support oxygen-based metabolic processes for life similar to that on Earth. In fact, there may be enough oxygen to support complex, animal-like organisms with greater oxygen demands than microorganisms.

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We believe that there is plenty of liquid water, a subtantial amount of thermal energy from hydrothermal vents as well as energy from the friction and strain in the surface crust caused by gravitational tidal forces, and now it may turn out that there is enough oxygen to support complex life. The organisms that made up the base of a food chain on Europa would not be photosynthetic, but would instead employ exotic metabolic processes(known to exist on earth) based on sulfur or the production of methane, from the hydrothermal vents(which would also supply heat, which is thought to be necessary). These sulfer and methane basd metabolic processes however, are only sufficient to sustain simple microorganisms if they are earthlike. The new findings suggest that oxygen levels may be high enough to support more complex life.

This is interesting because it is testable. We can go there and see, and hopefully we will.

Why its important to explore our oceans as well.
Here’s a video on the deep ocean vents in case you’re interested:



[edit on 2/2/2010 by defcon5]

Great topic!

Europa has long been considered as a possible habitat where life may exist in our solar system.

The next proposed mission won't even launch until 2020 and that's if it wins the funding. That's a bit of a shame and I hope we go there sooner because the possibilities are so tantalising!

They are talking about some pretty cool stuff and NASA has already tested a 'melt probe' in Norway.

Finding multicellular life in our own solar system would make it certain that life is pervasive throughout the universe. If it happened twice in ours, it's got to be everywhere!



en.wikipedia.org...

[edit on 2-2-2010 by Chonx]

reply to post by defcon5


Thanks, I love all of Attenborough's stuff. I know that the abundance of life at deep ocean hydrothermal vents on earth is a relatively new discovery, and one which suprised many scientists. It offers strong support for the idea that life will arise literally everywhere that it possibly can. I also know that this life is not very well understood and has not been fully studied - there is some wierd stuff though. The life in the deep oceans of earth is alien enough, I cannot image what is lurking at the bottom of true alien oceans.

reply to post by Chonx


Thank you, I agree. Finding life anywhere else at all will be a great day, because when we find it, it will automatically confirm our idea that the universe is literally teaming with life. It will really renew the public interest in exploratory science, and hopefully help define a new kind of world. I can image few realistic scenarios with such global psychological transformative power. It is a terrible shame that we are not more fiscally anxious to usher this sort of thing in.

I really hope they go there. It's an exciting prospect that could harbour amazing results.

I mentioned the proposed Europa mission here in an earlier thread -

www.abovetopsecret.com...

g.

Originally posted by OnceReturned
It offers strong support for the idea that life will arise literally everywhere that it possibly can.

Its truly amazing that life can thrive in those 400+ degree heat vents, under tons of water pressure, and with only the vents themselves as a source of energy. If things can exist in those conditions, I don’t see any reason why they could not exist in almost any conditions.

I was watching one show about the vents where they could not get the DSRV camera in close enough to the vents without them melting the hull, yet here are biological creatures walking around right on top of the vents.

Originally posted by OnceReturned
The life in the deep oceans of earth is alien enough, I cannot image what is lurking at the bottom of true alien oceans.

Something tells me it will be surprisingly similar.

Neat stuff though for certain.

Originally posted by Chonx
The next proposed mission won't even launch until 2020 and that's if it wins the funding. That's a bit of a shame and I hope we go there sooner because the possibilities are so tantalising!
[edit on 2-2-2010 by Chonx]

I hate the fact that whenever there's something relating to space, the date has to be pushed back so far. I mean, 2020. Are you serious? It takes 10 years to do preparations and raise the funds? I could understand if it was a simple mission of no importance, but we're talking about what could very well be one of the biggest scientifict discovery of our time. Life on another planet. Finding life in our own solar system would be a huge breakthrough as it will show that a planet doesn't necessarily have to be "Earth-like" in order to harbor life. Plus atleast it'll finally officially shut up all those people that say that we are alone in the universe. But whatever, let's just continue wasting our money on weapons to kill people instead of using it for the advancement of humanity. What do I know.