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tecoyah · 04-03-2004, 04:21 PM

O.K.
The reasoning behind my expectations within a decade.
TITAN
This year the cassini probe will enter an orbit of Saturn. It will drop a probe into one of Saturns moons(Titan), which has a thick atmosphere (ten times the density of earth) of methane and nitrogen. Experiments have shown that the mixture of this atmosphere, when electrically sparked, creates an organic soup(tholin) which just happens to contain the base chemical structure of RNA.
Radar images of Titan hint at an ocean of this soup, and the estimated age of the moon is in the billions of years. It took appox. 750 million years for basic life to develop on earth. The tidal forces created by planetary/moon interaction in the Saturn system create an internal warming of Titan, which likely has kept the core liquid and thus could produce hydrothermal activity.
In a nutshell, these are the basic steps many scientists now believe were the building blocks for life on earth.
EUROPA
In the past five years, scientists have come to accept the fact that Jupiters' moon Europa has an ocean of water under its Icy crust. Interaction between Jupiter and It's moons also keep the core of Europa molten, which again sets the stage for hydrothermal activity.(this interaction is also what creates the volcanism on Jupiters' moon "Io")On earth, there are many instances of chemical(hydrothermal) dependant life on the ocean floor, eating metals and sulfer escaping from vents in the crust of the planet.
MARS
Yes, there is actually quite a bit of water on Mars. Both the northern and southern ice caps are H2O, although the southern cap is mixed with CO2. Evidence from the rovers currently exploring Mars clearly supports the ancient ocean theory. The possibilty of current life is relatively slim on the surface, But is quite possible beneath the surface. Bacterial life has been found up to (I think)over a mile beneath the surface of the earth, and likely exists far deeper.
NEXT GENERATION TELESCOPES
Over the next ten to twenty years, several new telescopes will be built with the ability to see the spectra (light composition) of extra solar planets. By studying the reflected light of another planet, we can tell the chemical composition of its atmosphere. Should a planet show a certain mixture of Gases in the atmosphere (Oxygen, Methane, and Carbon Dioxide) It would almost certainly have life on it. Methane is easily destroyed by Ultra-Violet radiation, and must be replenished in order to exist, and although there are geologic processes that create methane, the combination of all three Gasses in observable quantity is virtually nil without biology.
By the way....two days ago Nasa announced they had detected Methane in the atmosphere of Mars, and are attempting to find a geologic explanation, as it must be replenished by some means.

I hope I didn't bore you all with this....I just think the possibilities are fantastic.

04-03-2004, 04:21 PM	#12 (permalink)
tecoyah Illusionary	O.K. The reasoning behind my expectations within a decade. TITAN This year the cassini probe will enter an orbit of Saturn. It will drop a probe into one of Saturns moons(Titan), which has a thick atmosphere (ten times the density of earth) of methane and nitrogen. Experiments have shown that the mixture of this atmosphere, when electrically sparked, creates an organic soup(tholin) which just happens to contain the base chemical structure of RNA. Radar images of Titan hint at an ocean of this soup, and the estimated age of the moon is in the billions of years. It took appox. 750 million years for basic life to develop on earth. The tidal forces created by planetary/moon interaction in the Saturn system create an internal warming of Titan, which likely has kept the core liquid and thus could produce hydrothermal activity. In a nutshell, these are the basic steps many scientists now believe were the building blocks for life on earth. EUROPA In the past five years, scientists have come to accept the fact that Jupiters' moon Europa has an ocean of water under its Icy crust. Interaction between Jupiter and It's moons also keep the core of Europa molten, which again sets the stage for hydrothermal activity.(this interaction is also what creates the volcanism on Jupiters' moon "Io")On earth, there are many instances of chemical(hydrothermal) dependant life on the ocean floor, eating metals and sulfer escaping from vents in the crust of the planet. MARS Yes, there is actually quite a bit of water on Mars. Both the northern and southern ice caps are H2O, although the southern cap is mixed with CO2. Evidence from the rovers currently exploring Mars clearly supports the ancient ocean theory. The possibilty of current life is relatively slim on the surface, But is quite possible beneath the surface. Bacterial life has been found up to (I think)over a mile beneath the surface of the earth, and likely exists far deeper. NEXT GENERATION TELESCOPES Over the next ten to twenty years, several new telescopes will be built with the ability to see the spectra (light composition) of extra solar planets. By studying the reflected light of another planet, we can tell the chemical composition of its atmosphere. Should a planet show a certain mixture of Gases in the atmosphere (Oxygen, Methane, and Carbon Dioxide) It would almost certainly have life on it. Methane is easily destroyed by Ultra-Violet radiation, and must be replenished in order to exist, and although there are geologic processes that create methane, the combination of all three Gasses in observable quantity is virtually nil without biology. By the way....two days ago Nasa announced they had detected Methane in the atmosphere of Mars, and are attempting to find a geologic explanation, as it must be replenished by some means. I hope I didn't bore you all with this....I just think the possibilities are fantastic. __________________ Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. - Buddha Last edited by tecoyah; 04-03-2004 at 05:58 PM..