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Spooky Science Series: #3 Extraordinary extra-terrestrials
- Lit Lab London
- Oct 20, 2024
- 3 min read
Welcome to this month's Halloween-themed science blog!
It's Halloween season, so throughout October, we thought we'd introduce you to a world where science and scares collide!
From the eerie to the unexplained, and the downright terrifying, we'll explore the science that fuels our Halloween nightmares, right here. Check back each week during October to be terrified and tantalised!
#3 Searching for signs of extra-terrestrial life
Halloween is the perfect time to explore the eerie and unknown, so let's venture into the depths of space to investigate one of the most mysterious places in our solar system: Jupiter's moon, Europa.
Beneath Europa's icy crust lies a vast ocean, thought to be deeper than Earth's. This ocean is kept warm by the tidal forces exerted by Jupiter, creating conditions that could support life.
Paul Byrne, Associate Professor of Planetary Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis helped develop the models that indicate signs of life on Europa, and says we can’t say for certain whether alien life thrives on Europa, but it does have “some of the ingredients you'd want for a habitable environment.” But how can we be sure there's anything living down there?
That's where the Europa Clipper comes in. The 100-foot long spacecraft, is bigger than an NBA basketball court, and has taken more than 25 years and $5.2 billion to develop.
NASA's Europa Clipper mission launched on 14 October, on a SpaceX rocket from the Kennedy Space Centre at Cape Canaveral in Florida. The space ship will travel 1.8 billion miles (2.9 billion kilometers) and arrive at Jupiter in April 2030.
This spacecraft will be sent up with different instruments designed to study Europa's surface, interior, and atmosphere.
One of its key instruments is a radar imager that can penetrate the icy crust and map the ocean below. Another is a magnetometer that can detect changes in Europa's magnetic field, which could be caused by the movement of electrically conductive fluids, such as saltwater.
It will also map the moon's surface to identify potential landing sites for future missions.
Not least, the Europa Clipper will also be searching for signs of organic molecules, the building blocks of life. These molecules could be detected by analysing the jets of water vapour that have been seen erupting from Europa's surface. These jets are thought to come from the sub-surface ocean, providing a glimpse of what might be underneath.
Of course, there's also a chance that we might find something even more terrifying. Europa's ocean could be home to strange and alien creatures that we can't even imagine. Imagine the scientists discovering a giant, tentacled monster lurking beneath the ice. Or maybe we'll find evidence of a civilisation that has been thriving on Europa for millions of years.
If the Europa Clipper discovers evidence of life on Europa, it would be a ground-breaking discovery that would change our understanding of the universe. But even if it doesn't find life, the mission will still provide valuable insights into the habitability of other worlds in our solar system and beyond.
Source:
science.nasa.gov. (n.d.). Europa Clipper - NASA Science. Date Accessed: 14 October 2024. Available at: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/europa-clipper/.
Join us on Thursday 31 October at the Lit Lab Science and Sip: Halloween Special. You bring the curiosity, we’ll bring the vibes this Halloween. Limited tickets now out on Eventbrite! Book now below
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