Life on Jupiter’s Moon Europa?

August 7th, 2008

If you watch shows like The Universe on the History Channel on LCD HDTV you are probably familiar with a few of the moons that have been looked at in regards to possible life. With average temperatures of minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit, an almost nonexistent atmosphere and a complex web of cracks in a layer of ice encompassing the entire surface, the environment on Jupiter’s moon Europa is about as alien as they come.

So how is it possible that there could be any signs of life in this habitat? One scientist is trying to take his new grants and figure that out. For nearly a decade, it has been Simon Kattenhorn’s passion to understand the amazing surface features on Europa and how they are formed.

“In order to really get at the issue, ‘Is there life out there?’, we have to know the best place to look,” said Kattenhorn, who is also currently authoring a chapter for a book on the moon. “And in the case of Europa, the best place to look is where cracks on its icy surface are active today.” full story