NASA: Enceladus has all the conditions for the origin of life

Date:

2017-04-15 21:30:06

Views:

3408

Rating:

1Like 0Dislike

Share:

NASA: Enceladus has all the conditions for the origin of life Source:

Scientists at NASA reported the discovery of new evidence on the icy moon of Saturn, Enceladus conditions to sustain life. In escaping into space from the moon's surface geysers researchers have discovered a molecule of hydrogen. The presence of this chemical component may mean that it's time to "pack their suitcases" and head to the search Enceladus for extraterrestrial life, as the conditions on the satellite may be appropriate for microbial life.

"We found some components needed to create a habitable environment. The available data create a compelling argument in favor of the assumption about the existence of life on this satellite," — says Thomas Zurbuchen, assistant head of NASA.

For a new discovery should thank the spacecraft Cassini circling Saturn and Enceladus since 2004. Analysis of samples collected "Cassini" two years ago when he flew through escaping into space geysers of Enceladus, showed the presence of hydrogen molecules, which in turn may hint at the geothermal activity under the surface of an icy satellite. Near the sources of the earth's geysers, scientists too often find living organisms, the researchers suspect that the latter may also exist on Enceladus.

"We're not saying that Enceladus is life. We are only saying that the new finding further strengthens our belief in it" — explains Jonathan lunine of Cornell center for astrophysics and planetary science.

The Assumption that water under the icy surface of Enceladus, heated inner warmth of a satellite, circulates among the astronomical community for quite this. Detection of hydrogen in the collected samples confirms these conjectures. To explain this could be that in the depths of Enceladus, most likely, a chemical reaction between certain types of minerals and the result of these reactions is the production of hydrogen, which was discovered by Cassini.

The Presence of hydrogen can also hint at the presence of the moon's surface is methane produced from carbon dioxide under chemical process of methanogenesis. As scientists say, the presence of hydrogen and methanogenesis can provide food for microorganisms as it happens on Earth. That is on Enceladus may exist a simple life.

However, at a press conference convened by NASA representatives also noted that the amounts of hydrogen that were detected by satellite, can also talk about the fact that germs that could eat them, actually maybe not so much. But still an indisputable fact, the researchers note, is that Enceladus has the necessary basic elements to maintain a simple life.

"Detection of molecular hydrogen (H2) completes the set, which I would call a basic set of components required for the existence of life as we know it: liquid water, organic molecules, minerals, as well as available source of "free" energy", — explains Lanin.

"the Presence of H2 on Enceladus only once again reinforces the interest in its further exploration and search for life".

It Should be noted that this opening connected with the system of Saturn, not the end. Scientists working with the space telescope "Hubble", say they found new evidence indicating that on Europa (another moon of Saturn) geysers of water is also not uncommon, which makes this satellite a less attractive target for research and the search for life.

Recall that the "Cassini" is coming to an end and in September of this year, the orbiting spacecraft will release into the atmosphere of Saturn, which completes its existence.

Recommended

Can genes create the perfect diet for you?

Can genes create the perfect diet for you?

Diet on genotype can be a way out for many, but it still has a lot of questions Don't know what to do to lose weight? DNA tests promise to help you with this. They will be able to develop the most individual diet, because for this they will use the m...

How many extraterrestrial civilizations can exist nearby?

How many extraterrestrial civilizations can exist nearby?

If aliens exist, why don't we "hear" them? In the 12th episode of Cosmos, which aired on December 14, 1980, co-author and host Carl Sagan introduced viewers to the same equation of astronomer Frank Drake. Using it, he calculated the potential number ...

Why does the most poisonous plant in the world cause severe pain?

Why does the most poisonous plant in the world cause severe pain?

The pain caused to humans by the Gimpi-gympie plant can drive him crazy Many people consider Australia a very dangerous place full of poisonous creatures. And this is a perfectly correct idea, because this continent literally wants to kill everyone w...

Comments (0)

This article has no comment, be the first!

Add comment

Related News

Astronomers photographed a black hole. Possible

Astronomers photographed a black hole. Possible

This is not a photo of a black hole. This is artistic representation the Project to create a virtual planetary telescope Event Horizon is fully completed and the system has already started to work, providing astronomers with a gia...

Elon Musk is ready to present the plan for the merger of brain and computer

Elon Musk is ready to present the plan for the merger of brain and computer

it is known that Elon musk plans to create a company that will deal with the merger of brain and computer (Yes), will be announced on Monday, April 17, in a giant article on the website Wait But Why. Will the presentation Tim urba...

What are the similarities of artificial intelligence and electricity?

What are the similarities of artificial intelligence and electricity?

What comes to mind when you hear "artificial intelligence"? Educated several generations of Hollywood movies, we often think about "evil robots and intelligent computers that want to destroy humanity". But the AI already plays an ...

Can futurists predict the year of occurrence of the technological singularity?

Can futurists predict the year of occurrence of the technological singularity?

the end of the known world close. And this is good, as is believed by many futurists, predicting the inevitable onset of technological singularity. What is it? Technological singularity is the idea that technological progress, esp...

Old mice rejuvenated with a new drug

Old mice rejuvenated with a new drug

In the life of a cell is something horrible. Like the young heroes of the popular teen novels, the cells are born simply "companies" of the authority is to perform certain roles, predefined expression of their DNA. As the body in ...

Russian scientists were able to speed up and cheapen the process of obtaining gold

Russian scientists were able to speed up and cheapen the process of obtaining gold

Getting from the ore is time – consuming and lengthy process. Today one of the most popular ways of gold recovery is the direct cyanidation using the ability of gold to react with cyanide in the presence of oxygen. There is anothe...

The study of galactic wide web gives the first results

The study of galactic wide web gives the first results

the universe is not only vast expanses of darkness and trillions of galaxies, containing many billions of stars and billions of planets. In fact, it is much more difficult. Each individual galaxy as a single galactic cluster, are ...

#Video | SpaceX posted a panoramic video of the Hyperloop tube

#Video | SpaceX posted a panoramic video of the Hyperloop tube

Recently, the company SpaceX launched a competition in which 27 teams have presented their prototypes of capsules for the Hyperloop. The purpose of the event — to spur outside interest in the Hyperloop project, to stimulate ...

From the point of view of science: crying is good?

From the point of view of science: crying is good?

Until recently, scientists and writers could not agree on the subject of tears. In "Henry VI," Shakespeare wrote that "weeping softens the force of grief", and American author lemony Snicket said that everyone knows that a good, l...

Company Memphis Meats got chicken and ducks in vitro

Company Memphis Meats got chicken and ducks in vitro

we All have long been accustomed to the icons on the packaging of the products «GMO», «gluten free», «Organic product» and so on. It is possible that in the future meat products, in addition to the ab...

Astronomers found the planet, contrary to the laws of planetary formation

Astronomers found the planet, contrary to the laws of planetary formation

According to a new study, one giant and distant world that was once described as "the planet that shouldn't be where she is" seems to have really formed, not where one would expect, and not from the outer material, which would hav...

Scientists mathematically proved unattainable absolute zero of temperature

Scientists mathematically proved unattainable absolute zero of temperature

the Laws of thermodynamics, which are the cornerstones of modern physics help us explain the behavior and change of the physical properties of objects and environments under certain conditions and circumstances. The first two laws...

Type II diabetes can be cured in four months: if you starve and work out

Type II diabetes can be cured in four months: if you starve and work out

type II Diabetes can be reversed in just four months by cutting calories, exercise, and maintain the glucose level under control, the study showed. The study included the creation of a personalized exercise regimen for each partic...

The warmer the planet, the less become some mammals

The warmer the planet, the less become some mammals

Fifty-six million years ago, about ten million years after the dinosaurs became extinct, our planet has experienced something strange. It was hot. Very hot. As hot as you used long ago for several billion years before that. Carbon...

NASA scored four teams of scientists to study the Solar system

NASA scored four teams of scientists to study the Solar system

Despite the fact that the American space Agency NASA runs a huge number of experts in various fields, the recruitment never stops. In any case, the leadership of NASA contracts with scientific teams from universities around the wo...

Complex life could have appeared much earlier than thought

Complex life could have appeared much earlier than thought

About 1.6 billion years ago, the community of small bright red plant life forms, while floating in the shallow pool of the antediluvian water, was engraved in stone until the end of time. Or at least until until a team of Swedish ...

How animals see in the dark?

How animals see in the dark?

on a moonless night the light level can be 100 million times lower than in bright daylight. And if we are almost blind and completely helpless in the dark, cats quite successfully hunt down prey, and butterflies quickly fluttering...

The animalcules revealed another superpower

The animalcules revealed another superpower

Six animals in a state of dehydration. In this state, they pull their legs and head inside the protective sheath, forming a kind of cocoon the Tiny living creatures, tardigrades, have a set of amazing properties. They easily toler...

On YouTube there was a shooting declassified nuclear test

On YouTube there was a shooting declassified nuclear test

From 1945 to 1962 the United States conducted more than 200 nuclear tests in the atmosphere, in order to fully explore the power of nuclear weapons. These horrific explosions have taken at any possible angle and from all distances...

Criminal minds. Offenders can be calculated by the image of the brain

Criminal minds. Offenders can be calculated by the image of the brain

According to an article recently published in the Guardian, a group of neurologists from Virgin medical-technological research Institute of the Carillon was able to establish the difference in the brain of the real criminals and t...