Scientists have reached more pessimistic conclusions about whether life exists on the moons of the solar system’s outer planets.
The authors of a new study published in the journal Astrobiology have reached disappointing conclusions about the potential habitability of Saturn’s largest moon Titan. Scientists believe that this world is most likely unsuitable for life as we know it. Phys writes that this study also suggests that it would probably not be possible to detect life on any other moon of Saturn besides Jupiter’s moons.
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Astronomers have been trying to detect signs of extraterrestrial life for many years, both on other planets in the solar system and on their moons. Saturn’s moons Titan and Enceladus, as well as Jupiter’s moons Ganymede and Europa, are of particular interest to scientists. Large, deep oceans of liquid water are believed to exist beneath the surface of these worlds. Water acts as a solvent for all known life forms. So there may be life there.
As for Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, which is covered in methane lakes, scientists believe that there is a huge ocean beneath the surface of this world, where the total volume of water is 12 times greater than all oceans on Earth.
But the results of a new study suggest that expectations for the search for extraterrestrial life on Titan should be significantly tempered. After all, there is most likely no life in the ocean, or rather, the probability of this is very low.
Using data from impact craters, scientists estimated the amount of organic molecules that could be transported from Titan’s surface into the subsurface ocean. When comets fell on Titan, they eroded its icy crust and allowed organic molecules to penetrate the subsurface ocean. Scientists have discovered how much organic matter can arrive there each year. It turned out that during this time, only 7.5 tons of glycine, the simplest amino acid that forms the proteins necessary for life on Titan, entered the ocean. Glycine uses carbon as the basis of its molecular structure. According to scientists, this amount of glycine is not enough for extraterrestrial life to begin developing in the oceans.
The study’s authors say Enceladus, Ganymede and Europa have very little surface carbon, and Titan has the most organic matter compared to those worlds. Therefore, if the ocean on Titan likely lacks conditions to support life, the other three worlds may be even more likely to lack life.
Although the study does not raise optimism about the search for extraterrestrial life on Titan, the Dragonfly research helicopter will travel to Saturn’s moon in 2028 to study prebiotic chemistry, or how organic compounds organize themselves to form life. About this task Focus I have already written in detail.
To date, only one spacecraft has landed on Titan. This was done 19 years ago by the Huygens probe. Thanks to him, scientists saw what the surface of Titan looks like.
Focus I have already written about how a manned mission to Titan could be accomplished with a man landing on the surface.
Moreover Focus He wrote about how Titan and other moons of Saturn appear from very close range.
We would like to remind you that, as Focus previously wrote, the Japanese SLIM module found some clues about how our Moon appeared.
Source: Focus
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.