Is there life on Jupiter's moon Europa?

With a negative average temperature of 260 degrees Fahrenheit, the atmosphere is almost non-existent, with a complex network of cracks in the ice that completely covers the surface, Jupiter's moon-moon environment is really weird. strange to understand.

Scientists were amazed to see water and ice splashes shot up from cracks in Enceladus' icy surface, Saturn's moon. This is one of four objects with geological activities belonging to the solar system. The other three objects are Earth, Neptune's moon Triton, and Saturn's moon Io.

The same thing happens under the surface of Europa, namely an ocean below the ice 9 times deeper than the deepest sea of ​​Earth and the force of the planet 318 times greater than Earth.

For nearly a decade, Simon Katterhorn was passionate about understanding the amazing features of the Europa surface. Sponsored by NASA, his research could provide clues to the biggest question of mankind - is life beyond Earth? Kattenhorn, a professor of geology at the University of Idaho, is intrigued by the complex but also very beautiful structure of the network of fractures, ruptures, and ridges on Jupiter's fourth largest moon surface. With a grant of $ 358,000, he can study the geological characteristics of Europa on the highest resolution photos that NASA can provide. The fanciful cracks will reveal what geological activity there is on this moon, the planet best suited to look for signs of life.

Kattenhorn, the author of a chapter in the book about the moon, said: 'To answer the question of' Is there life outside the Earth ', we must know the best place to search. In the case of Europa, the most appropriate position is where the cracks on the icy surface are currently active. ' But finding geological activity is not an easy job. Kattenhorn can learn a lot from faults because they create very specific models that allow him to judge their age. His aim in this project is to find the youngest fracture and compare it with the tidal forces on Europa to see if they match.

Although there is debate about the thickness of the outer ice of Europa, some argue that the ice is 20 miles thick while others claim only a few miles, but one thing is widely agreed to be that the ice covered positive more than 60 miles deep. This means that although Europa is about the size of our moon, it contains more water than Earth.

Scientists were amazed to see water and ice splashes shot up from cracks in Enceladus' icy surface, Saturn's moon.This is one of four objects with geological activities belonging to the solar system.The other three objects are Earth, Neptune's moon Triton, and Saturn's moon Io.(Photo: NASA / JPL / Space Science Academy)

In its trajectory, Europa approaches and moves away from it. It changes gravity on it. As a result, the moon is constantly squeezed and released like a bubble filled with water, creating cracks and fractures. This raises questions about the ability of geysers, like what was discovered on Saturn's moon Enceladus.

Recent photos from the Cassini spacecraft, when flying through Enceladus, show images of water-ice sparks flying into space. This discovery raises excitement in the academic community, including Kattenhorn, NASA's second sponsor, to allow him to apply what he learns on Europa to study Enceladus.

This discovery also creates a new source of vitality to study and explore Europa, in order to find out if similar processes can occur.

Kattenhorn talks about his moon study: 'This study fulfills my own aspirations as a geologist as well as an adventurer, an adventurer, to witness things no one has ever seen. and discover things no one has ever discovered. Space in the solar system is the ideal place to do this, because there are many things we only witness for the first time. '

In the past few decades, no one believed that a life form could exist on the icy moon like Europa. But recent discoveries about the potentially adaptable bacteria to the harshest environment on Earth have led to positive speculations about the feasibility of this.

Susan Childers, head of the research team for geological microbiology at the University of Idaho, a life-long researcher in harsh environments, said: 'There is a lot of environmental potential on Europa similar to the above hydrothermal system our ocean. Ancient organisms that thrive on oxidized metals may be the center of the environment formed by heat and metal that rusts from cracks in the seabed. '

Finding extraterrestrial life has long been a guideline for NASA's operational planning. Currently, NASA is in the process of choosing its key mission; The most ambitious and long-term programs often provide the most data. NASA's options include launching a satellite to explore Saturn's Titan moon, Europa or the entire Jupiter system, which means that two-thirds of NASA's next major mission will include Europa. This makes detailed research on the search position - or even the probe's landing position - very important.

However, even if the exploration of Europa is not possible, Kattenhorn is still eager to study the fanciful moon.

Kattenhorn said: ' We don't sit still and close our eyes. We want to know what happens, why it happens. Like Galileo looked through his telescope centuries ago and uttered 'God! What is hidden there? ' It is also our spirit of discovery and I am really anxious to start researching. '