Is Extra Terrestrial life possible??

By: Joshua Wildman

Remember:All life on Earth requires carbon, hydrogen,

nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur and water. But this does not mean that life on another planet, moon, comet, or some

other place needs oxygen or water.

1. EnceladusThe sixth-largest moon of Saturn is the most promising for life thanks to its good temperature and the likely presence of water. The surface of the icy moon is thought to be about 99 percent water ice, with a good chance of liquid water beneath. Observations from the Cassini probe’s 2005 flyby of Enceladus hint the presence of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen, organic molecules thought to be necessary to develop life.

2. EuropaJupiter’s moon Europa also seems a possible place for E.T. life

due to its potential water and volcanic activity. Though the surface seems to be frozen, it is suspected that buried

underneath is an ocean of liquid water. Volcanic activity on the moon could provide life-supporting heat, as well as

important chemicals needed by living organisms. Microbial life could potentially survive near hydrothermal vents on

Europa, as it does on Earth in the deep oceans.

3. MarsThe best candidate for a planet with life is Mars. The red planet

is the most Earth-like of solar system planets, with a comparatively similar size and temperature range as our own

planet. Large bodies of water ice lie on Mars’ poles, and there’s a good chance of liquid water beneath the surface. The small atmosphere on the planet is not strong enough to block the planet against deadly solar radiation, though microbes could

possibly exist beneath the surface

4. TitanSaturn’s largest moon looks like it might have once had

life, because its thick atmosphere has a lot of compounds that often have the presence of living organisms. For instance, Titan’s air is filled with methane, which is

usually destroyed by sunlight. On Earth, life constantly produces methane, so it might similarly be responsible for the methane on Titan. Titan is rather cold, however.

5. Io Jupiter’s moon Io is one of the few solar system moons to have an atmosphere, and it contains chemicals promising

for life. Volcanism on the moon also makes it warmer than many others, another good sign. Io is still a long stretch,

though, because its location inside Jupiter’s magnetic field means it is constantly being pelted with lethal radiation. Its

violent surface also seems uninhabitable.

I believe that there is a possibility of the existence of Extra Terrestrials. I think this because there are

hundreds of billions of galaxies out there, and trillions of stars in each one, and one of the stars could have a

satellite that supports life. It may or may not have intelligent life, but it doesn’t matter, its either there is

life, or no life at all. Any life of some sort out there would be good for NASA and other various

organizations.

"Top 5 Bets for Extraterrestrial Life in the Solar System | Wired Science | Wired.com." Wired.com . N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2011.

<http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/01/et-life/>.