Life Possibilities on Moons of Different Planets!

Since the time we started finding life on planets, we have been observing life possibilities on the moons of different planets! You may have heard of some famous moons after our moon, like Europa, IO, Titan, etc. These are the moons of different planets like Jupiter, Saturn, etc., which have more chances of life possibilities than their planets! We know that scientists are planning to send astronauts to Earth's moon to research more about it. But it is also possible that astronauts will also go on these moons to find life possibilities and create a base to stay in. Today you will learn a lot about different planets, their moons, their unique and shocking qualities, and their life chances. NASA and other space agencies have some moons where humans can live and settle more easily than Mars or any other planet.

Life Possibilities on Moons of Different Planets

Contents:

1. Europa of Jupiter
2. Titan of Saturn
3. IO & Ganymede of Jupiter
4. Enceladus of Saturn
5. Triton of Neptune
6. Summary and FAQ

Europa of Jupiter

Europa is also called Jupiter Second. It is one of the 79 moons revolving around the planet Jupiter. If you are interested in astrology, then you must know that Jupiter is known for the four big Galilean moons revolving around it. Europa is the smallest but most interesting moon among those four moons. Europa is completely covered with several kilometers of ice layers where the average temperature goes well below zero. 

Till now, many missions have carried out flybys of Europa, among which missions like Pioneer 10, Pioneer 11, Voyager 1, and Voyager 2 are the main ones. All these missions studied this moon closely from 1970 to 1980. Apart from this, the Galilean Spacecraft, circling the planet Jupiter between 1995 and 2003, studied this moon even more closely.

 

Juno Spacecraft, launched in 2011, which is currently in the orbit of Jupiter, is continuously studying Jupiter and its moons. In the future, NASA is planning to send a mission named Europa Clipper to study this moon. During the exploration done by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2012, scientists detected water plumes coming out from the south pole of Europa. After which, in other studies conducted in 2014 and 2016, scientists also found similar plumes. Scientists have predicted that there could be oceans in liquid form under the ice layer of the Earth's surface. Where some type of complex life already exists or is in its initial evolutionary phase.

 

Titan of Saturn

Titan is the second-biggest moon in our solar system. This is the only moon in the entire solar system that has a nitrogen-rich atmosphere like our Earth, along with rivers of liquid hydrocarbons and huge lakes.

 

Here, like on Earth, clouds are formed, which cause the rain of methane and ethane. In 1980, the Voyager mission studied Titan closely, and we came to know for the first time that a substantial atmosphere is present here. After which, in 1997, the Cassini Huygens mission was launched to study Saturn and its moon, Titan. In 2005, the Huygens Probe separated from the main Cassini spacecraft and successfully landed on Titan. This mission mapped Titan's surface and lakes and took many high-resolution photographs of its surface. In the future, NASA is working on a plan to launch a mission named Titan Dragonfly to study this very unique moon. 

Which will be a rotorcraft that will land on its surface and study its surface composition and lakes. According to scientists, the current situation on Titan is largely like the early days of our planet. Titan is like our Earth in many ways. You can also call it the solar body most similar to the Earth present in our solar system. The atmosphere of Titan is quite active and complex and is mainly composed of nitrogen and methane. Scientists have discovered organic compounds like carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen on Titan, which are important for the growth of life on the planet. There is also a possibility that some kind of life exists here that is quite different from ours and depends on very different resources from ours to survive.

IO & Ganymede 

IO & Ganymede of Jupiter

IO is the 5th moon of Jupiter and the most volcanically active moon in our complete solar system. Scientists have located more than 150 volcanoes on the IO moon for the duration of their exploration. These plumes attain hundreds of kilometers above their surface. It additionally has a totally skinny environment that's a product of sulfur dioxide. NASA's Voyager missions closely studied the IO Moon throughout the flyby of the Jupiter planet and accumulated much critical information related to the large volcanoes present there. 

Also Read: What Would Happen If Oxygen Level Doubled In Atmosphere of Earth

After which, the Galilean Spacecraft was dispatched to have a look at the planet. Jupiter studied the IO moon and its volcanoes for many years and detected their volcanic peaks. Juno Spacecraft is a gift in the orbit of Jupiter and is constantly reading the IO Moon and its volcanoes. Along with volcanoes, scientists have additionally determined many large lava tubes there; subsequently, they believe that in the event that they locate a few kinds of underground lava tubes there, then the probabilities of finding a few sort of lifestyles there'll grow considerably. 

It has also been discovered on our planet within the deserts of Iceland and Saudi Arabia, where microbial existence is likewise determined. These Lava Tubes can serve as a protective environment for any kind of lifestyle to flourish.

 

Ganymede is the most important moon in our solar system, and it is bigger in length than Mercury and Pluto. That is, if it were revolving around the Sun rather than Jupiter, it might have been categorized as a planet. Like our Earth and other internal planets, Ganymede is made of three unique layers. Its floor is covered with a layer of massive, strong ice. NASA's Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 missions were the first to observe this moon in the course of their flyby. After which, the Galilean mission sent to take a look at the planet Jupiter studied this moon closely.

The Enceladus of Saturn

Enceladus is an icy world whose surface is mainly made of fresh, solid ice. This is a very active and young moon that was formed only 100 million years ago. It was first studied by NASA's Voyager Mission, and during its flyby of the Saturn planet, it took many pictures of this moon. After which, the Cassini mission sent to study the planet Saturn studied this moon closely. During the study, Cassini came to know many interesting things about this moon. The most special of which was the plume coming out of its poles. 

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During its exploration, Cassini Spacecraft passed through these plumes, where it discovered organic molecules present in them. NASA is working on a plan to send an orbiter and lander mission to this moon in the future. Which will land on its surface, study its surface, and also detect the subsurface liquid ocean present beneath the ice. Despite extremely low temperatures and difficult conditions, this moon is quite active and full of life possibilities. During initial exploration, scientists discovered plumes coming from the poles of this moon. After studying this, scientists discovered that oceans of liquid salt water may exist under the huge ice layer of this moon. 

During the search, scientists also learned that organic molecules are present in these plumes. That is, in this subsurface liquid ocean, all three ingredients necessary for life—liquid water, energy, and organic molecules—are present. In such a situation, there is a great possibility that some kind of complex life is present or flourishing here.

 

Triton of Neptune

Triton is the largest moon of the planet Neptune and the most weird moon in our entire solar system. This is because moons generally revolve around their planet in the direction of its rotation. But the same triton revolves in the opposite direction of the rotation of the planet Neptune, which is quite strange. Scientists predicted that millions of years ago, Triton was a part of the Kuiper belt, which the planet Neptune might have taken into its orbit due to its gravitational force.

 

This strange moon was first studied in 1989, when NASA's Voyager Mission carried out a flyby of the planet Neptune. The Voyager mission took many memorable and clear pictures of this moon, which changed the perspective of seeing this moon. From the information gathered by Voyager, scientists came to know that it is a very young and active moon where huge geysers of nitrogen are present, which is quite strange. 

Scientists are considering a special lander mission to study this moon more closely. Which will land on this moon and study its surface and nitrogen geysers. Scientists have estimated from several kilometers of huge geysers emanating from Triton's surface that its interior is still quite warm and active. That means, like Europa and Enceladus, huge liquid-water oceans may exist beneath its surface. By these evidences, there is a possibility of the existence of some kind of life form in these liquid oceans.

 

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Summary and FAQ

NASA and other space agencies are working to find more possibilities for life on these moons. It is possible that they will send astronauts to these moons to build a base to stay and do research. Humans are now trying to be multi-planetary very quickly. Scientists are working to find more moons and planets like these to make space missions easier. I hope you have learned a lot from this article. Please comment on what you liked the most. Here are some questions that could arise in your mind:

 

Is there life on any of the planets except the moon?

Scientists have found possibilities for life on different moons like Europa, IO, etc.

Which moon is most likely to have life?

Europa and Enceladus are the two moons where life can be possible more than any other moon.

Does Jupiter's Moon have life?

Scientists have mostly found life possibilities on the moons of Jupiter. So it is possible that they will launch a space mission to these moons in the future.

Is there any oxygen on moon?

Scientists have found that there is above 40% oxygen in the crust of the moon.

Can we grow plants on moon?

Yes, it is possible as moon have many vital components needed for growth of plants.