Alien Life Hiding Near Jupiter and Saturn?!
Alien Life & UFO/UAPs
Wednesday 3rd, July 2024
Recent modelling has revealed that low temperature hydrothermal vents might exist at the bottom of the subterranean oceans on Jupiter’s moon Europa and Saturn’s moon Enceladus. These vents could warm the oceans and provide the necessary conditions for alien life to emerge. The study, published in 'Geophysical Research: Planets', highlights the significance of these findings.
On Earth, hydrothermal vents are not only a source of energy and heat but also one of the potential origins of life. Both high temperature and low temperature hydrothermal vents exist in Earth’s oceans, with a much larger volume of water passing through the latter. High temperature vents rely on volcanic activity, drawing energy and heat from the Earth’s hot core. However, the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn lack such hot cores, prompting scientists to investigate the prevalence of low temperature vents on these celestial bodies.
Due to the limited data on the oceans beneath the icy surfaces of Europa and Enceladus, researchers based their modelling on the water circulation system observed in the northwest Pacific Ocean. In this region, cool seawater sinks and flows into the rock at the seafloor through extinct volcanic cavities known as seamounts. The water heats up as it passes through the rock and then rises through another seamount, emerging at a higher temperature and with a different chemical composition.
By adapting this water circulation model to the conditions on Europa and Enceladus, scientists adjusted properties such as gravity, temperature, seafloor composition, and water circulation depth to match the potential environments of these moons’ oceans. The modelling results indicate that low temperature hydrothermal vents could exist at the bottom of these underground oceans under a wide range of conditions.
Additionally, the lower gravity on these moons ensures greater heating of the water emerging from the vents. According to the researchers, the conditions on Europa and Enceladus could allow these hydrothermal sources to exist for billions of years, which is assumed would be sufficient time for alien life to potentially develop.
The study concludes with a hopeful outlook, “Therefore, theoretically, life could exist in hydrothermal vents on Europa and Enceladus. Now all that remains is to explore their oceans and discover it, if it really is there”.
This discovery paves the way for future missions aimed at exploring the icy moons' oceans. NASA’s upcoming Europa Clipper mission, for instance, is designed to investigate Europa’s ice shell and subsurface ocean, seeking signs of habitability. Similarly, future missions to Enceladus may focus on probing its ocean to uncover evidence of hydrothermal activity and potential life forms.
The implications of these findings are profound. If hydrothermal vents on Europa and Enceladus are confirmed, it would revolutionise our understanding of the potential for life beyond Earth. It would also offer new insights into the geological and hydrological processes of icy moons, broadening our knowledge of the universe’s diverse environments.
On Earth, hydrothermal vents are not only a source of energy and heat but also one of the potential origins of life. Both high temperature and low temperature hydrothermal vents exist in Earth’s oceans, with a much larger volume of water passing through the latter. High temperature vents rely on volcanic activity, drawing energy and heat from the Earth’s hot core. However, the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn lack such hot cores, prompting scientists to investigate the prevalence of low temperature vents on these celestial bodies.
Due to the limited data on the oceans beneath the icy surfaces of Europa and Enceladus, researchers based their modelling on the water circulation system observed in the northwest Pacific Ocean. In this region, cool seawater sinks and flows into the rock at the seafloor through extinct volcanic cavities known as seamounts. The water heats up as it passes through the rock and then rises through another seamount, emerging at a higher temperature and with a different chemical composition.
By adapting this water circulation model to the conditions on Europa and Enceladus, scientists adjusted properties such as gravity, temperature, seafloor composition, and water circulation depth to match the potential environments of these moons’ oceans. The modelling results indicate that low temperature hydrothermal vents could exist at the bottom of these underground oceans under a wide range of conditions.
Additionally, the lower gravity on these moons ensures greater heating of the water emerging from the vents. According to the researchers, the conditions on Europa and Enceladus could allow these hydrothermal sources to exist for billions of years, which is assumed would be sufficient time for alien life to potentially develop.
The study concludes with a hopeful outlook, “Therefore, theoretically, life could exist in hydrothermal vents on Europa and Enceladus. Now all that remains is to explore their oceans and discover it, if it really is there”.
This discovery paves the way for future missions aimed at exploring the icy moons' oceans. NASA’s upcoming Europa Clipper mission, for instance, is designed to investigate Europa’s ice shell and subsurface ocean, seeking signs of habitability. Similarly, future missions to Enceladus may focus on probing its ocean to uncover evidence of hydrothermal activity and potential life forms.
The implications of these findings are profound. If hydrothermal vents on Europa and Enceladus are confirmed, it would revolutionise our understanding of the potential for life beyond Earth. It would also offer new insights into the geological and hydrological processes of icy moons, broadening our knowledge of the universe’s diverse environments.
