‘Ocean world’ moons of Saturn and Jupiter may support alien life
- 7 years ago
WASHINGTON — New research from NASA suggests that oceans on moons orbiting Saturn and Jupiter could support microorganisms.
The data comes from two NASA ventures: the Cassini mission to Saturn’s moon Enceladus and Hubble Space Telescope observations of Europa, Jupiter’s lunar body. Both planets are covered in ice, with vast oceans beneath the surface. The space agency dubbed both lunar bodies “ocean worlds” in a press release.
Data from the Cassini mission indicates Enceladus’ waters may support microbial life as the moon contains all the chemical elements required for life to exist, CNN reported.
The spacecraft, launched in 1997, detected hydrogen — a key component chemical to support life — while observing a plume in October 2015.
The Hubble Space Telescope observed a 62-mile-high water plume erupting from a warm surface of Europa last year. This eruption was twice as high as another plume scientists last observed in 2014 in the same area. Scientists will investigate Europa further in the coming decade.
The Europa findings were reported in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, while the Enceladus research was published in the journal Science.
The data comes from two NASA ventures: the Cassini mission to Saturn’s moon Enceladus and Hubble Space Telescope observations of Europa, Jupiter’s lunar body. Both planets are covered in ice, with vast oceans beneath the surface. The space agency dubbed both lunar bodies “ocean worlds” in a press release.
Data from the Cassini mission indicates Enceladus’ waters may support microbial life as the moon contains all the chemical elements required for life to exist, CNN reported.
The spacecraft, launched in 1997, detected hydrogen — a key component chemical to support life — while observing a plume in October 2015.
The Hubble Space Telescope observed a 62-mile-high water plume erupting from a warm surface of Europa last year. This eruption was twice as high as another plume scientists last observed in 2014 in the same area. Scientists will investigate Europa further in the coming decade.
The Europa findings were reported in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, while the Enceladus research was published in the journal Science.