NASA predicts that we will find life beyond our planet, and maybe even beyond ours solar system, already in this century. But where? What will this life be like? Would it be wise to make contact with aliens? The search for life will be difficult, but the search for answers to these questions could, in theory, be even longer. Here are ten points that are in one way or another related to the search for extraterrestrial life.
NASA believes extraterrestrial life will be discovered within 20 years
Matt Mountain, director of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, has this to say:
“Imagine the moment when the world wakes up and the human race realizes that it is no longer alone in space and time. We have the power to make a discovery that will change the world forever.”
Using ground and space technology, NASA scientists predict that we will find extraterrestrial life in the galaxy Milky Way over the next 20 years. Launched in 2009, the Kepler Space Telescope has helped scientists find thousands of exoplanets (planets outside the solar system). Kepler detects a planet when it passes in front of its star, causing a slight drop in the star's brightness.
Based on Kepler data, NASA scientists believe that 100 million planets in our galaxy alone could be home to extraterrestrial life. But only with the start of operation of the James Webb Space Telescope (launch scheduled for 2018) will we have the first opportunity to indirectly detect life on other planets. The Webb telescope will search for gases in planetary atmospheres that are generated by life. The ultimate goal is to find Earth 2.0, the twin of our own planet.
Extraterrestrial life may not be intelligent
The Webb telescope and its successors will look for biosignatures in the atmospheres of exoplanets, namely molecular water, oxygen and carbon dioxide. But even if biosignatures are discovered, they won't tell us whether life on an exoplanet is intelligent. Alien life may be single-celled organisms like amoebas, rather than complex creatures that can communicate with us.
We are also limited in our search for life by our prejudices and lack of imagination. We assume that there must be carbon-based life like us, and its intelligence must be similar to ours. Explaining this failure in creative thinking, Carolyn Porco of the Space Science Institute says: "Scientists don't start thinking about completely crazy and incredible things until some circumstances force them to."
Other scientists like Peter Ward believe that intelligent alien life will be short-lived. Ward admits that other species may suffer global warming, overpopulation, famine and eventual chaos that will destroy civilization. The same thing awaits us, he believes.
Currently, Mars is too cold to support liquid water and life. But NASA's Opportunity and Curiosity rovers, analyzing rocks on Mars, have shown that four billion years ago the planet had fresh water and mud in which life could thrive.
Another possible source of water and life is the third highest volcano on Mars, Arsia Mons. 210 million years ago, this volcano erupted under a huge glacier. The heat from the volcano caused the ice to melt, forming lakes in the glacier, like liquid bubbles in partially frozen ice cubes. These lakes may have existed long enough for microbial life to form.
It is possible that some of Earth's simplest organisms could survive on Mars today. Methanogens, for example, use hydrogen and carbon dioxide to produce methane and do not require oxygen, organic nutrients or light. They are ways to survive temperature changes like those on Mars. So when scientists discovered methane in the atmosphere of Mars in 2004, they assumed that methanogens were already living beneath the surface of the planet.
When we go to Mars, we may contaminate the planet's environment with microorganisms from Earth. This worries scientists because it could complicate the task of finding life forms on Mars.
NASA plans to launch a mission in the 2020s to Europa, one of Jupiter's moons. Among the main objectives of the mission are to determine whether the surface of the moon is habitable, as well as to determine the places where they can land. spaceships future.
In addition to this, NASA plans to look for life (possibly intelligent) under Europa's thick layer of ice. In an interview with The Guardian, NASA lead scientist Dr Ellen Stofan said: “We know there is an ocean underneath this icy crust. Water foam emerges from cracks in the south polar region. There are orange stains all over the surface. What is this, after all?
The spacecraft that will go to Europa will make several flybys around the moon or remain in its orbit, possibly studying the plumes of foam in the southern region. This will allow scientists to collect samples of Europa's interior without the risky and expensive landing of a spacecraft. But any mission must ensure that the ship and its instruments are protected from the radioactive environment. NASA also wants us not to pollute Europe with terrestrial organisms.
Until now, scientists have been technologically limited in their search for life beyond our solar system. They could only look for exoplanets. But physicists from the University of Texas believe they have found a way to detect exomoons (moons orbiting exoplanets) through radio waves. This search method could greatly increase the number of potentially habitable bodies on which we can find extraterrestrial life.
Using knowledge of radio waves emitted during the interaction between Jupiter's magnetic field and its moon Io, these scientists were able to extrapolate formulas to search for similar emissions from exomoons. They also believe that Alfven waves (plasma ripples caused by the interaction of a planet's magnetic field and its moon) could also help detect exomoons.
In our solar system, moons like Europa and Enceladus have the potential to support life, depending on their distance from the Sun, their atmosphere, and the possible existence of water. But as our telescopes become more powerful and far-sighted, scientists hope to study similar moons in other systems.
There are currently two exoplanets with potential habitable exomoons: Gliese 876b (about 15 light-years from Earth) and Epsilon Eridani b (about 11 light-years from Earth). Both planets are gas giants, like most of the exoplanets we have discovered, but they are located in potentially habitable zones. Any exomoons on such planets could also have the potential to support life.
Until now, scientists have searched for extraterrestrial life by looking at exoplanets rich in oxygen, carbon dioxide or methane. But since the Webb telescope will be able to detect ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons, scientists propose to look for intelligent extraterrestrial life in such “industrial” pollution.
While we hope to discover an extraterrestrial civilization that is still alive, it is likely that we will find an extinct culture that destroyed itself. Scientists believe that best way to find out whether a planet could have had a civilization is to look for long-lived pollutants (which remain in the atmosphere for tens of thousands of years) and short-lived pollutants (which disappear within ten years). If the Webb telescope detects only long-lived pollutants, there is a high chance that civilization has disappeared.
This method has its limitations. The Webb telescope can so far only detect pollutants on exoplanets orbiting white dwarfs (the remnants of a dead star the size of our Sun). But dead stars mean dead civilizations, so the search for actively polluting life may be delayed until our technology becomes more advanced.
To determine which planets could support intelligent life, scientists typically base their computer models on the planet's atmosphere in its potentially habitable zone. Recent research has shown that these models may also include the influence of large liquid oceans.
Let's take our own solar system as an example. Earth has a stable environment that supports life, but Mars - which is on the outer edge of the potentially habitable zone - is a frozen planet. Temperatures on the surface of Mars can fluctuate by up to 100 degrees Celsius. There is also Venus, which is within the habitable zone and is unbearably hot. Neither planet is a good candidate for supporting intelligent life, although both may be inhabited by microorganisms capable of surviving extreme conditions.
Unlike Earth, neither Mars nor Venus has a liquid ocean. According to David Stevens from the University of East Anglia, “The oceans have enormous potential for climate control. They are useful because they allow surface temperatures to respond extremely slowly to seasonal changes in solar heating. And they help keep temperature changes across the planet within acceptable limits.”
Stevens is absolutely confident that we need to include possible oceans in models of planets with potential life, thereby expanding the range of the search.
Exoplanets with wobbling axes can support life where planets with a fixed axis like Earth cannot. This is because such "spinner worlds" have a different relationship with the planets around them.
The Earth and its planetary neighbors revolve around the Sun in the same plane. But spinning worlds and their neighboring planets rotate at angles, influencing each other's orbits so that the former can sometimes rotate with their pole facing the star.
Such worlds are more likely than fixed-axis planets to have liquid water on their surface. This is because the heat from the mother star will be evenly distributed on the surface of the unstable world, especially if it has its pole facing the star. The planet's ice caps will melt quickly, forming a global ocean, and where there is an ocean, there is potential life.
Most often, astronomers look for life on exoplanets that are within the habitable zone of their star. But some "eccentric" exoplanets remain in the habitable zone only part of the time. When outside the zone, they can melt or freeze violently.
Even under such conditions, these planets can support life. Scientists point out that some microscopic life forms on Earth can survive in extreme conditions - both on Earth and in space - bacteria, lichens and spores. This suggests that the star's habitable zone may extend much further than thought. Only we will have to come to terms with the fact that extraterrestrial life can not only flourish, as here on Earth, but also endure harsh conditions where, it seemed, no life could exist.
NASA is taking an aggressive approach to the search for extraterrestrial life in our universe. The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) project is also becoming increasingly ambitious in its attempts to contact extraterrestrial civilizations. SETI wants to go beyond just searching and tracking extraterrestrial signals and start actively sending messages into space to determine our position relative to others.
But contact with intelligent alien life may pose dangers that we may not be able to handle. Stephen Hawking warned that a dominant civilization would likely use its power to conquer us. There is also an argument that NASA and SETI are overstepping ethical boundaries. Neuropsychologist Gabriel de la Torre asks:
“Can such a decision be made by the entire planet? What happens if someone receives our signal? Are we ready for this form of communication?
De la Torre believes that the general public currently lacks the knowledge and training needed to interact with intelligent aliens. The point of view of most people is also seriously influenced by religion.
The search for extraterrestrial life is not as easy as it seems
The technology we use to search for extraterrestrial life has improved greatly, but the search is still not nearly as easy as we would like. For example, biosignatures are generally considered evidence of life, past or present. But scientists have discovered lifeless planets with lifeless moons that have the same biosignatures in which we usually see signs of life. This means that our current methods of detecting life often fail.
In addition, the existence of life on other planets may be much more incredible than we thought. Red dwarf stars, which are smaller and cooler than our Sun, are the most common stars in our Universe.
But, according to the latest information, exoplanets in the habitable zones of red dwarfs may have an atmosphere destroyed by harsh weather conditions. These and many other problems significantly complicate the search for extraterrestrial life. But I really want to know if we are alone in the Universe.
Scientists have experimentally proven that life can be found in our solar system. For example, on Saturn's moon, Titan.
But let's talk about everything in order.
Everyone knows that cell life requires processes such as exosmosis and endosmosis. These are processes that provide a living cell with water exchange. And water is the basis of life. It is in water that all vital processes for molecules take place. And in order for any, even the smallest organism, to be considered as an independent, isolated system, it must have boundaries that separate it from everything else. The cell membrane is precisely such a boundary. It consists of molecules called lipids. Let's consider lipid molecules. Their uniqueness lies in the fact that they have a non-polar tail and a polar head. If, for example, we look at the molecules of water, alcohol and oil, it turns out that water and alcohol are polar, and oil molecules are non-polar.
Therefore, alcohol and water dissolve in each other, but oil does not. But, we repeat, the peculiarity of lipids is that their nonpolar and polar parts are interconnected. If such molecules are immersed in water (a polar environment), then these lipids will begin to group into a structure called a lipid bilayer. The molecules line up so that the heads (polar parts) are on the outside in the aqueous environment (polar), and the tails are on the inside. By forming such a double layer of lipid molecules, we obtain a cell membrane. You can give an example with a fleecy carpet: the pile of the carpet is the tails of lipids, and its flat surface is the heads. We bend the carpet so that the fleecy part is on the inside and the smooth part is on the outside, and in our imagination we form a ball from this carpet. Here you have a molecule with a carpet membrane.
Let's return to the research of scientists. As mentioned earlier, water is the basis of life. In our solar system there is only one planet with habitable water - Earth. On other planets it exists in a solid state, but life requires a liquid medium. But astronomers have discovered that there are seas and oceans on the surface of Saturn’s moon, which means there may be life there. But this is not water, but liquid hydrocarbons, including ethane and methane. Scientists from Cornell University conducted a study to find out what structures can live in unusual conditions?
The scientists' task was to find a structure that could perform the function of a cell membrane. They immersed the lipid bilayer in a liquid hydrocarbon medium. Let's return to polarity and non-polarity. Water, as we remember, is not polar, but methane is polar. This means that in the seas of Titan (satellite of Saturn), the intercellular membrane should be non-polar on the outside (let’s turn our carpet ball with its pile outward). And since the temperature in these seas is 180 degrees Celsius, the membrane must still remain elastic.
A – acrylonitrile molecules in the liquid are connected to each other by hydrogen bonds between the nitrogen atom and the hydrogen of the ethylene group. Molecules are disordered
B – fragment of a crystal of solid acrylonitrile. Nitrile groups are oriented away from each other
C – in the presence of liquid methane, it becomes more favorable for acrylonitrile molecules to orient polar nitrile groups inside the particle so that they do not come into contact with non-polar ethane molecules
D – spherical structure formed by a double layer. Nitrile groups are oriented inside the layer, and ethylene tails are oriented outside and inside the sphere.
And after carrying out computer calculations and modeling the behavior of various substances in liquid methane, chemists discovered amazing fact! The acrylonitrile molecule was able to form cell membrane structures! As expected, the membrane was nonpolar on the outside (tails pointing outward) and polar on the inside (heads pointing inward). The size of these structures was similar to the size of the terrestrial virus. This completely changes your perspective on what “life” means!
If water is so vital for cells on earth, then perhaps liquid hydrocarbon is just as necessary for other forms as in our case? Probably, other planets, and even interspace, are inhabited by life that we don’t even know about! After all, if this or that environment is familiar and necessary for us, then for other organisms this environment will be deadly, and vice versa. There is still so much unknown in life, something that we cannot even imagine yet. For example, some people still believe that Earth is the only planet where intelligent life lives. Imagine one small Earth among the great many stars and planets of the Milky Way galaxy. And how many other galaxies are there and how many planets are part of them! Are we really the only and unique ones in our intelligence? Perhaps great, epoch-making discoveries regarding the discovery of new forms of life in space await us.
If you are interested in the topic of extraterrestrial life, then there is very interesting information that can be found in the books of Anastasia Novykh. For example, the book “Ezoosmos” talks in detail and in simple language about alternative, non-protein life, as well as what the human body consists of, how time and gravity are related, and what is the main role of gravity in the structure of the entire Universe, as well as about what life is in its true sense and what the “first brick” of all matter is called. You can download books by this author completely free of charge from our website by clicking on the quote below, or by going to .
Read more about this in the books of Anastasia Novykh
(click on the quote to download the entire book for free):“There is intelligent life not only on other planets, but even in outer space,” Sensei objected to him. – It is clear that not our air-breathing form, which needs oxygen. The main thing for life is an energy push, that is, ezoosmosis. And, for example, thermal energy, the same energies of electromagnetic and gravitational fields, and so on, can give an impetus to life. And there will also be life, but different, different from biological. It is our thinking that is simply accustomed to thinking that the building blocks of living organisms intelligent beings can only be amino acids. And we simply don’t want to see or acknowledge anything other than this statement. What about amino acids? In space, this “brick” is scattered everywhere, but so what? This doesn't mean anything yet. Amino acids themselves are far from being a “house” in which intelligent beings live. This is just a “brick” that still needs to be folded into the shape of a “house”.
– What else might an alternative life look like? – Kostya asked in bewilderment.
– Well, for example, there are intelligent beings, with the presence of appropriate intelligence, who live outside the planets, in interspace. They fill vast areas. This is one of the largest populations of intelligent beings... What they consist of cannot even be called matter in the human understanding of the word. In our earthly comparison, their structure, so to speak, “cells” (in which there is no hint of amino acids), resembles the shape of cones, such cylinders. But when they are combined together, they change their shape. These are scattered particles. Their structure is much more organized and higher than ours... In its natural state, this creature is not very long. However, it depends on his “age”. Their sizes can vary from a few millimeters to several meters. When a given being is at rest, it disintegrates and merges with the outside world. And when moving, it simply organizes itself, that’s all... In principle, these creatures can penetrate any planet.
- Anastasia NOVIKH "Ezoosmos"
Today our solar system has been studied very well. Most of the planets have already been explored and it is safe to say that life exists only on Earth. After all, in order for there to be life on the planet, there must be good conditions. Firstly, there must be an atmosphere, because it is the atmosphere that is the key to the origin of life. There must also be oxygen and water. There are some embryonic atmospheres on Venus and Mars, but there is no life there, although in the future it could theoretically appear there too.
One of the most interesting ideas, which for centuries has excited the imagination of not only professional astronomers, but also people of other professions, has always been the idea of searching for evidence of the presence of life on other planets of our solar system. The Universe is huge, practically infinite, and scientists fully accept the idea that on some distant planet outside our solar system, or even on many planets, the same life flows as on Earth. It is likely that somewhere in the vastness of the universe there are planets whose conditions allow life to form and sustain it for a long time. But what about our solar system?
Today it is believed that in order for life to be possible somewhere, an atmosphere (in other words, air), water, an indicator of the acceleration of gravity (g, - one of the manifestations of gravity) close to that of Earth, and an acceptable temperature are needed. Astronomers have conducted a number of studies devoted to the search for life forms on the planets of our solar system. They searched the planets for water, air and other substances common on planet Earth.
Studies of our closest neighbor, the Moon, have shown that this planet is completely devoid of life forms and conditions for their formation. There is a complete absence of atmosphere, no water, and temperature conditions practically coincide with those in space. This means that in the shadow on the Moon it is about -100 degrees Celsius, and in the sun it is somewhere around +100. And no intermediate values.
But in our solar system there are planets whose conditions are close to those on Earth. And the first candidate for the possibility of the existence of life forms is Mars. There is an atmosphere here - albeit an extremely rarefied one, a g-value close to that of Earth, water is present, and the average air temperature is 60 degrees Celsius. Not the Caribbean, of course, but with the appropriate equipment you can survive.
And yet these conditions are unacceptable for humans. The atmosphere is too thin to breathe. Wind speeds can reach 100 meters per second, and precipitation contains sulfuric acid. Scientists have not yet fully decided on the life forms on this planet - perhaps there are creatures that are able to survive in such conditions. But so far there is no official data confirming their existence.
Another planet of our solar system, more or less similar in conditions to the Earth, is Venus. It is a kind of antipode to Mars. There is water, there is an atmosphere, but on the contrary it is concentrated, thick, too rich. The average air temperature is +420 degrees. The greenhouse effect on this planet is the cause high temperature, and therefore it is sometimes called the future of the Earth. Given the current state of ecology, when there is chemical contamination of the environment on Earth, the greenhouse effect in the future seems quite possible. And despite a number of similarities with earthly conditions, life on Venus is impossible.
Astronomers continue to try to study the planets of our solar system; perhaps someday the results of research will refute the existing picture of the world. In addition, scientists are exploring planets outside our solar system. Maybe one day in the vastness of the universe we will be able to discover a planet similar to Earth, and we will make acquaintance with creatures of a completely different civilization.
Private Educational Institution School “Choice”
Research work
Subject:
“Is there life on other planets?”
Bukiya Sofya and Kurochkina Anna, 3rd grade.
Moscow
2016-2017
INTRODUCTION
Have you ever wondered if there is life on other planets? We noticed that scientists argue a lot on this topic.
We've always wondered if there are aliens.
Relevance
IN modern world life on other planets is of great importance, since people are interested in knowing whether we have neighbors on the planet.
Purpose of the work
Tasks
The purpose of the work is
- Find out the conditions that allow life to arise on the planet.
- Determine whether life is possible on the planets of the solar system.
QUESTIONNAIRE
Is there life on other planets?
In order to find out what 3rd grade students know about life on other planets, we decided to conduct a survey. 12 people took part in it.
To the first question: “Which planets of the solar system do you know?” the following answers were received: 7 people answered Earth, 11 people answered Mars, 6 people answered Jupiter, 6 people answered Saturn, 2 people answered Neptune, 4 people answered Venus, 2 people answered Mercury, 1 person answered Pluto. Also, several people answered by mistakenly calling the Moon (this is a satellite of the Earth) and the Sun (this is a star)
To the second question: “Do you think life is possible on them?” opinions were divided by the majority - 7 people answered yes, while they clarified that on Mars (3 people) or Saturn (1 person), 3 people were undecided, they answered that they did not know and 2 people answered that life on other planets is not possible
To the third question, “How might this life be different from ours?” Features of gravity and the appearance of the inhabitants were mentioned as differences; properties of air and soil - the most popular answer (4 people), as well as special technologies (2 people).
Also, as an example, most respondents know the planets of the solar system; they admit the presence of other life there in special climatic conditions. Residents most likely differ in appearance and use modern technology.
Practical part
Planet | Photo | Its characteristics | What forms of life are possible |
Mars |
| Mars is one of the smallest planets in the solar system: its mass is equal to a tenth of the mass of the Earth. Mars is located between the Earth and Jupiter, it is the fourth from the Sun. A day on Mars lasts a little longer than on Earth - 24.5 hours. It is known that Mars is red in color due to the large amount of oxidized iron on this planet. The “red” planet has two satellites - Deimos and Phobos. All three celestial bodies - both the planet and its two satellites - are named very ominously: Mars was the name of the god of war in Ancient Rome, Phobos in Greek means “Fear”, and Deimos means “Terror”. | Is there life on Mars? According to some scientists, it was. In the past, Mars, like the Earth, was filled with rivers, volcanoes erupted, and the climate was temperate. The banks of rivers, seas and oceans were covered with abundant vegetation, and the animal world was much more diverse than on Earth. Insects were the most adapted to the living conditions; the leading positions in numbers were occupied by huge mantises and ants. And then the irreparable happened - the rich nature of Mars disappeared along with most of the atmosphere. |
Jupiter | Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet in the Solar System. It is not for nothing that the ancient Romans called their main god Jupiter. Jupiter is one of the gas giants of the solar system; it consists of solid, but from a mixture of various gases. Another feature of the planet is the so-called Great Red Spot. Scientists have found that this is a kind of clot formed by clouds that are higher than the rest. | Although no samples have been taken that could test for microscopic life on the planet, there is very little convincing evidence that life cannot exist on this planet. First, let's look at the conditions onJupiter , which exclude the existence of life. The planet is a gas giant composed mainly of hydrogen and helium. There is virtually no water there to support known life forms. The planet does not have a solid surface for life to develop anywhere except for floating microscopic organisms. Free-floating organisms can only exist at the very tops of clouds due to atmospheric pressure, which progresses more than anything on Earth |
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Saturn |
| The planet Saturn is one of the brightest objects in our starry sky. Its distinctive feature is the presence of rings. These rings are visible from Earth even with a small telescope. They are made up of thousands and thousands of small, solid pieces of rock and ice that orbit the planet. Once every 14-15 years, the rings of Saturn are not visible from the Earth, as they turn edge-on. | After studying images of Saturn's sixth largest moon Enceladus, scientists found out that an ocean of salt water is hidden under the frozen surface, which indicates the likelihood of the presence of some forms of life. In the resulting images, strange elongated craters became clearly visible for the first time. These photographs will help scientists complete the mapping of one of Saturn's most interesting moons. |
Uranus |
| Continuing our journey through the solar system, we encounter the seventh planet from the sun and its satellites, collectively called the Uranus system. This is a beautiful and almost faceless giant with a blue-green surface. The thick outer layer of blue gas gives no hint of what may lie underneath. This planet is slightly smaller than its nearest neighbor, Saturn, and is surrounded by thin, small and almost invisible rings. Upon closer inspection, you can see that this world is, for unknown reasons, deviated from its axis. There are 27 satellites of different sizes and shapes in its orbit. Five of them are quite large for detailed study. The name of this blue giant is Uranus, and now we will take a closer look at it. | In the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, scientists often face accusations of "carbon chauvinism" because they expect other life forms in the universe to be composed of the same biochemical building blocks as us, structuring their search accordingly. But life may well be different - and people are wondering about it - so let's explore ten possible biological and non-biological systems that expand the definition of "life". |
Neptune | As soon as we leave Uranus's colorful blue-green atmosphere behind, we immediately encounter another giant blue world almost the same size. However, this planet is slightly different in appearance - it is characterized by thin white clouds and dark blue patches in the atmosphere. Until recently, one of them, like a giant eye, loomed among the blue, reminiscent of the Great Red Spot on Jupiter. 13 moons and several tiny rings surround this planet. One of these satellites is quite large and is named Triton. | This planet is from the future new life, which has a magnetic component. They will generate electricity for themselves, as they have electromagnetism. This is a future highly developed race in the initial stage of its development. These are liquid aquatic, underwater and surface forms of intelligent life, different in their types. |
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Venus | Venus and Earth are often called twins because they are similar in size, mass, density, composition and gravity. However, the commonalities end there. Interesting fact: Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system and the second from the Sun, after Mercury. Although Venus is not the closest planet to the Sun, its dense atmosphere, the so-called heat trap, creates a greenhouse effect that also warms the Earth. | It is unlikely that it will be possible to explore even the closest exoplanets using automatic spacecraft in the current century. It is quite possible, however, that the answer can be found very close by, on our closest neighbor in the solar system - Venus. |
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Mercury |
| Mercury - the planet closest to the Sun Due to the slight inclination of Mercury's rotation axis to the plane of its orbit, there are no noticeable seasonal changes on this planet. Mercury has no satellites. Mercury is a small planet. Its mass is a twentieth of the mass of the Earth, and its radius is 2.5 times less than that of the Earth. | Mercury is the world of extremes. Temperatures on the Sunny Side are 450 degrees and some areas have never been exposed to sun rays temperature -173 degrees. I don't think life ever existed on the planet. Scientists believe that life is possible on other planets with conditions close to those on Earth. |
Mars - Many people believe that life on Mars is possible. But there are some errors in this statement. After all, to this day, life on Mars has changed. Because under the influence of the atmosphere, life disappeared. But this remains a mystery even to scientists.
Jupiter - life on Jupiter has not been studied and has not been proven that it exists. But it is possible that microscopic alien life could live on gas clouds.
Saturn scientists have found that beneath the frozen surface lies an ocean of salty water, which indicates the likelihood of the presence of some form of life.
Uranium scientists believe that other lifeforms in the Universe will be composed of the same biochemical building blocks as we are, structuring their search accordingly. But life could very well be different
Neptune - This planet with future new life, which has a magnetic component. Residents will generate electricity for themselves, as they have electromagnetism.
Venus - life on it cannot be determined. The pressure on it is very high.
Mercury - Scientists believe that life is possible on other planets with conditions close to those on Earth.
POPULAR MOVIES ABOUT LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS
Doc: film /All about Space/ 2016-HD-Blu ray
movie The Martian 2015
Giant black hole
The question of whether there is life on other planets and bodies in the solar system has worried humanity since the dawn of civilization. This topic gave rise to the development of an entire genre of literature and art - science fiction. The desire to discover living organisms on other planets has contributed to enormous progress in space technology and has helped to study many objects in the solar system and beyond. But the question of the existence of life on other planets still remains open. Is it possible that there is someone else in the solar system besides earthlings?
Water is the source of life
Life in the Solar System
Just a couple of centuries ago, the existence of various forms of life on other planets and satellites of the solar system was considered quite plausible. Before the invention of powerful telescopes and spacecraft in the 20th century, it was believed that there were intelligent organisms on Mars, and that a tropical forest was hidden under the dense clouds of Venus. Naturally, these assumptions were erroneous, which was repeatedly confirmed by research outer space using probes and orbital observatories.
But still, the prerequisites for the emergence of life are possible on some objects of our star system. Planets and small bodies that are potentially suitable for life are those that have certain properties:
- presence of liquid water;
- close to earth mass;
- proximity to a central star or hot gas giant;
- the presence of metals, carbon, oxygen, silicon salts, nitrogen, sulfur and hydrogen;
- low orbital eccentricity;
- the angle of inclination of the rotation axis to the orbital plane is similar to that on Earth (mild change of seasons);
- quick change of day and night.
Let's consider what celestial bodies are included in the hypothetical belt of life in the Solar System.
artistic image
Mars
Mars is similar in physical parameters to Earth. It also belongs to the solid planets, its mass is 10 times less than that of the Earth, and its diameter is only 2 times. The red planet's orbit is not highly eccentric, and the inclination of its axis to its plane is 25°, which causes the change of seasons. A day on Mars lasts 39 minutes longer than on our planet.
Mars
The surface of the fourth planet of the solar system is dotted with many formations that resemble the beds of dried rivers and lakes. The study of Martian soil by planetary rovers confirmed the presence of ice in the subsurface layer, as well as minerals, the formation of which requires water. It remains a mystery what happened to Mars in the past that could deplete all the water reserves on the planet.
The atmosphere significantly reduces the chances of life existing on Mars. It is extremely rarefied and consists of carbon dioxide with admixtures of nitrogen and inert gases. Such an atmosphere cannot withstand the rapid cooling of the planet’s surface, so the temperature on Mars in the mid-latitude region ranges from -50°C to 0°C. In such conditions, only one form of life can survive - anaerobic extremophile microorganisms. But these were not found in soil samples from the fourth planet of the solar system.
Methane on the planet
The discovery of methane in the atmosphere of Mars in 2004 became a real mystery for space researchers. It should have easily evaporated from the surface of the planet under the influence of the solar wind. But its concentration remained relatively constant. It has been suggested that reserves of the simplest hydrocarbon are constantly replenished through the decomposition of organic matter by life forms such as methane-producing bacteria. However, when studying the atmosphere of the fourth planet of the solar system in 2018, no traces of gas were found.
Europe
Europa is a satellite of Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system. In size it is slightly smaller than the Moon. Its atmosphere is rich in molecular oxygen, and its surface is a huge shell of ice, under which is hidden an ocean of liquid water. It is thanks to this that we consider Europa as an object in the solar system potentially suitable for life.
Europe
Oxygen in the gaseous shell of the Jupiterian satellite appeared due to the splitting of the icy crust by solar radiation. Most of it evaporates from the surface of the planet, but a small percentage still remains on the satellite. For life to arise on Europa, molecular oxygen needs to penetrate into the ocean under the icy shell. This is not easy to do, because... its thickness is more than 30 km.
According to scientists, several million years must pass before the oxygen concentration in Europa's ocean becomes optimal for the emergence of life. Under such conditions, microorganisms similar to bacteria and protozoa that inhabit the depths of the Earth's oceans can arise.
Enceladus
Enceladus is a satellite of Saturn. This is one of the coldest places in the solar system - its surface temperature is -200°C. How is life possible under such conditions?
Enceladus
Under the icy crust of Enceladus hides an ocean of water, in which active hydrothermal processes constantly occur. This constant source of heat heats the depths of Enceladus's ocean to a temperature of +1°C. In addition, many salts are dissolved in water, as well as some organic compounds. Such a “broth” could become the source of life on the Saturnian satellite, as it once was on Earth.
Titanium
Saturn's largest moon is also a candidate for the emergence of life in the solar system. Titan is slightly larger in diameter than Mercury, and twice as heavy as the Moon. Its atmosphere contains a high concentration of nitrogen, and its surface is pockmarked with ethane and methane rivers, lakes and even oceans.
Titanium Such an abundance of organic matter, located under a dense nitrogen atmosphere, can become the impetus for the prebiotic revolution - the emergence of nitrogenous bases, which are the building material for RNA and DNA. These acids are the precursors of life on Earth.
Conditions for life on the satellite will become more favorable in 6 billion years, when the Sun transforms into a red giant. The surface temperature will rise from -180°C to -70°C, which is enough for an ocean of water and ammonia to form in the subsurface layer and life to arise.
Exoplanets
There is a whole list of planets outside the solar system, the conditions on which may be similar to those on Earth. With such parameters, the existence of life or its emergence in the near future is possible on them.
Potentially habitable planets outside the solar system are:
- Kepler-438 b. This planet orbits the red dwarf star of the same name in the constellation Lyra. It is distant from the solar system at a distance of 470 light years. It is a solid planet with an average surface temperature in the range of 0-50°C. Probably has an atmosphere.
- Proxima b. Orbits the dwarf of the same name in the constellation Centaurus at a distance of 4.3 light years from the Sun. It is a hot rocky planet with a weak atmosphere.
- Kepler-296 e. Located in the single star system Kepler-296 in the constellation Cygnus. The average surface temperature is no more than 50°C. A dense hydrogen atmosphere, the composition of the surface is close to that of Earth.
- Gliese 667 C p. It is located 24 light years away from the Solar System and is located in the constellation Scorpio. It has an atmosphere potentially suitable for life in composition and humidity. The average temperature does not exceed 50° C. The structure of the surface layer is ferruginous-stone.
- Kepler-62 e. Orbits the star of the same name in the constellation Lyra. An iron-rock planet with a dense atmosphere and optimal temperature for the existence of life. Its mass is one and a half times that of the Earth.
The list shows the most habitable planets outside the solar system. In total, there are currently 34 exoplanets whose conditions are similar to those on Earth and could be suitable for the origin of life.
