Biosignature on the moon Europa?

reply to post by fooks


You mean Arthur Clarke, don't you? That sounds like the end of '2010'.

It's entirely possible that life might exist on Europa. Let's not get ahead of ourselves though - it could be at microscopic level, or at best prehistoric invertebrates. Evolution thrives best in changing circumstances, and Europa looks like it's been steady for a long, long time.

reply to post by Nicolas Flamel


If this is true, on how it all started, why is there no proof of life? You would think, since everything was created at the same time, progression would advance at the same time. Or even if one progressed slower than the other, Europa would have our past evolutions happening right now, signs of bacteria does not impress me.

reply to post by Nicolas Flamel


Ha ha great, Conan the Bacterium.
That's better than Conan O'brien, though he has that red gong for him.

Originally posted by DuShane
reply to post by Nicolas Flamel

 

If this is true, on how it all started, why is there no proof of life? You would think, since everything was created at the same time, progression would advance at the same time. Or even if one progressed slower than the other, Europa would have our past evolutions happening right now, signs of bacteria does not impress me.

We are looking for proof of life off the earth. This thread describes another tool scientists can use to identify life on other worlds. Even if we find only bacteria it would be a big deal. It would mean life is most likely everywhere as long as it's not too hostile of an environment. We wont know if there is multicellular life, like seaweed or fish, on Europa until we actually put a probe under the ice there.

A probe like this is already being developed by NASA, when it's launched is anybody's guess.

DEPTHX was built in 2006 and used to conduct field experiments in Mexico from January to May 2007. It demonstrated several technologies for navigation, decision making and biological detection that might be used someday to explore Jupiter's moon Europa

en.wikipedia.org...

Originally posted by DuShane
reply to post by Nicolas Flamel

 

If this is true, on how it all started, why is there no proof of life? You would think, since everything was created at the same time, progression would advance at the same time. Or even if one progressed slower than the other, Europa would have our past evolutions happening right now, signs of bacteria does not impress me.

If an environment is in a steady state, without much impetus to evolve, there's no guarantee that evolution will progress at the same speed as on Earth. Remember that several catastrophic extinction-level events were needed to kick start various eras of development in Earth's fauna.

Given the fact that scientists have proven that while the Earth was completely iced-over life continued to develop and flourish in our oceans, I see no reason why life couldn't exist in the same conditions elsewhere in the Universe. Assuming of course that there is flowing water beneath the top layers of ice.

In my opinion, it is much more likely that there is life elsewhere. This doesn't necessarilly equate to little green men romping around, but rather plant life, ocean dwellers, etc. We also have to break free of the idea that all life must exist in the environment that we thrive in. I have never understood how people can agree with evolution and adaptation but argue that adaptation couldn't overcome low/high temperatures, lack of oxygen etc. Seems hypocritical to me.

reply to post by lpowell0627


The module of chemical synthesis in oceanic trench dwellers is one good example of alternative ways life can adapt - it would be incredible to see this occurring on somewhere like Europa.

reply to post by FlyingSpaghettiMonster


It's vague in my memory, but I recall an episode I saw of when they observed the depth of the Marianna Trench, and found what could be considered a 'robust' ecosystem of life, animals that fed off of sunken animal shells and bodies. Under that kind of pressure the discovery was quite amazing. A whole other community of life without light scurrying around oblivious to life above them.

I find it curious this thread has also faded to near oblivion. So I bump it up with that excerpt.

reply to post by lpowell0627


Also consider we may be observing just a short segment of time of Europa, while it is presently frozen over, while in the past it may have not have always been this way, and perhaps we are just witnessing one 'Ice Age' of Europa.

Of course that is pure speculation on my part with no scientific data to support, but how can we be so sure when it's been only 30 some years since we ever saw the moon kind of up close like? Without continuous observation as well.

It's pretty chilly on the surface of Europa:

Europa’s surface temperature only reaches 110 Kelvin (-160 degrees Celsius, -260 degrees Fahrenheit) at the equatorand only 50 Kelvin (-220 degrees Celsius, -370 degrees Fahrenheit) at the poles.

planetary.org...

However when our sun becomes a red giant in about 7.6 billion years from now, the earth will be engulfed by the sun but the ice on Europa could melt. As another poster mentioned earlier, humans or what will pass as humans then could move to places like Europa which will be warmer. So it could become an ocean world in the distant future and a lifeboat for humanity.

I found some more information on missions to Europa. NASA and ESA each plan to send a probe there. These probes will not land but investigate from orbit.



The science mission includes the following:

Characterize sub-surface oceans
Characterize the ice shells and any subsurface water
Characterize the deep internal structure for Ganymede and the intrinsic magnetic field
Compare the exospheres, plasma environments, and magnetospheric interactions.
Determine global surface compositions and chemistry
Understand the formation of surface features, including sites of recent or current activity, and identify and characterize candidate sites for future in situ exploration.

opfm.jpl.nasa.gov...

Based on what these probes find, a Europa lander mission will be planned.

The current timeline is to launch the probes around 2020. They will arrive in Jovian space around 2025 and will take measurements until 2029.

reply to post by Nicolas Flamel


Those missions were drawn up over a decade ago and cancelled in 2009. Good to see they didn't throw everything away, though disappointing about the delay, I'll be nearly 70 before any data returns, health willing.