DailyDirt: Alien Lifeforms In Our Solar System

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Wed, Mar 18th 2015 5:00pm — Michael Ho

So far, we only have one example of life -- the biosphere of Earth. Our planet probably isn't unique in the universe, but compared to the other large objects in our solar system, Earth looks special. However, there are a few other spots in our solar system that could support life. It would be so nice to find another living neighbor -- as long as they kept to themselves after we meet them.

Jupiter's moon, Europa, could harbor life in vast watery oceans beneath its icy crust. Europa's subsurface oceans hold roughly twice as much water (or more) as the Earth's oceans -- so there could be organisms similar to extremophiles that live near hydrothermal vents at the bottom of our oceans. [url]
Life, but not as we know it, could potentially exist on Saturn's giant moon, Titan. There's a sea of liquid methane on Titan which would require a very different biochemistry -- but it's apparently not unthinkable that a theoretical cell membrane called an azotosome might exist. Or not. [url]
Optimistic astrobiologists might be surprised to find lifeforms that are more complex than single-celled organisms. Newly discovered Antarctic crustaceans and fish living deep under a glacier in Lake Whillans provide an example of an unexpected thriving ecosystem that is almost completely isolated from the rest of our biosphere. [url]

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Filed Under: antarctica, astrobiology, azotosome, biosphere, ecosystem, europa, extremophile, lake whillans, life, titan

11 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 18 Mar 2015 @ 5:16pm

Obligatory 'there are lifeforms on Uranus hurrrr' post
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Mar 2015 @ 5:27pm

Alien Lifeforms In Our Solar System

Of course there are, why would this not be the case?
If you are expecting little green men, most likely you will be disappointed.
If you are scared of aliens and what them to go away just play some country music. Also I understand that Slim Whitman makes their heads explode.
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Mar 2015 @ 12:58am

First people wondered if the Moon might support life, then it was Mars. Now that Mars has been all-but-written-off, the new targets of conceivable extra-terrestial life have become the moons of the outer planets. When those hopes are dashed (an almost certain probability) where will star-gazers turn to next? Epsilon Eridani b?
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- Anonymous Coward, 19 Mar 2015 @ 6:24am
  
  Re:
  Apparently your definition of life is somewhat different than that shared amongst most scientists.
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  - vancedecker (profile), 19 Mar 2015 @ 2:34pm
    
    Re: Re:
    He's right, there is no life anywhere but Earth.
    
    SCIENCE has ZERO evidence of life outside of Earth.
    
    So I don't know who these "most scientists" are but perhaps you should stop reading garbage crank science sites like Natural News and Prison Planet brah.
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    - Anonymous Coward, 19 Mar 2015 @ 6:37pm
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      Perhaps one should read the scientific community's speculation about this topic before spouting off a bunch of ridiculous nonsense.
      
      For your further edification I present the following:
      A lack of evidence does not by itself prove anything other than there is a lack of evidence.
      
      Ok, now I can back to reading my garbage crank science sites - have a good day.
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Rekrul, 19 Mar 2015 @ 1:09am

Newly discovered Antarctic crustaceans and fish living deep under a glacier in Lake Whillans provide an example of an unexpected thriving ecosystem that is almost completely isolated from the rest of our biosphere.

Cool! So how do we exploit this? I say we dynamite the glacier and then use drift nets to fish it to extinction. Hey, it's the corporate way...
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- vancedecker (profile), 19 Mar 2015 @ 2:38pm
  
  Re:
  Brah, you seem super angry and I don't see how this article has anything to do with your eco-anger. Try searching for google for keywords.
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vancedecker (profile), 19 Mar 2015 @ 1:49pm

ZERO PROOF CIRCLE JERK SPECULATION
The only known life in this Galaxy and Universe exists here on Earth.

Coulda, Woulda, Crap Speculative Nonsense.

There is no life on Europe, there is no life on Titan, there is no life on Mars.

You people need to get this through your thick heads already.

There is barely any life here on earth at the poles, so there isn't gonna be any life out in our Solar System.

Life doesn't always find a way, if it did, then mountains would be covered in Trees, but they aren't, there is a tree line, and above that, there isn't any life, so there isn't life in radiation soaked outer space.
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- Anonymous Coward, 19 Mar 2015 @ 6:39pm
  
  Re: ZERO PROOF CIRCLE JERK SPECULATION
  Get a life moran.
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- Anonymous Coward, 19 Mar 2015 @ 9:52pm
  
  Re: ZERO PROOF CIRCLE JERK SPECULATION
  Who is to say that among the possibly billions of planets out there, that one or two can't contain some sort of primordial slime or something? It's certainly possible, but what's not possible is ever knowing for sure, as for one thing the universe is expanding at a rate faster than any spaceship could conceivable travel to get there, even given billions of years of travel time. As we're basically limited to (unmanned) travel within our own solar system, all we can possibly learn is that there is no trace of life within these eight planets (and their moons), and that's all. The rest is the stuff of fantasy and science-fiction.
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