Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Europa has more Earth-like properties, including vast ocean deposits and warmer weather than previously thought

NASA's Juno spacecraft, which is tasked to observe Jupiter is about to reach the planet's orbit, it is expected to reach the planet in July this year. In sync with the mission, NASA scientists are performing in-depth studies of Jupiter including the planets and satellites surrounding it.

Recent findings suggest that the icy surface of Europa has Earth-like properties which may enable life to exist. But aside from Europa, Saturn's moon called Titan also posseses Earth-like properties like bodies of water, making it another candidate for hosting alien life forms.

Europa has more Earth-like properties, including vast ocean deposits and warmer weather than previously thought. While Saturn's Titan also exhibits properties which will enable life forms to thrive according to a report by TechTimes.



    A new @NASA study suggests Europa could have necessary balance of chemical energy for life.


For decades, researchers and non-experts alike thought that Mars is the only planet capable of sustaining life aside from Earth. But as technology progressed and as more planets and satellites were studied, their potential to sustain life was discovered as well. The most basic requirement for life to thrive is water.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) suggests that there is a vast ocean underneath the icy surface of Europa which increased its potential to host alien life forms.

Meanwhile, Saturn's moon, called Titan, is another candidate habitat for alien life forms. Like Europa, Titan also contains water. It is cloaked in hydrocarbons which scientists refer to as haze. The moon is also composed of water and solid mass. The surface is also icy like that of Europa's but the difference is the high concentration of nitrogen-methane on its atmosphere.

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