Why Should We Explore Jupiter’s Moon Europa free essay sample

Many of these moons have quite interesting characteristics, such as the moon Io, which has volcanic geysers that blast hot material some 300 miles above its surface, and mountains reaching heights as tall as 52,000 feet. But in contrast to Io, the moon Europa is a frozen world. But, without a doubt, the most interesting place in the Jupiter system of moons is the moon Europa: the moon with a massive liquid ocean hidden beneath 7 miles of ice. If one applies common sense, it would be natural to assume that a body in deep space smaller than our Moon, in temperatures hundreds of degrees below zero, would be an incredibly cold and frozen rock solid. And for the most part one would be right. But because Jupiter has so much mass, it creates a gigantic gravitational effect on its near-by moons. Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727), formally described this force as â€Å"gravity†, in his scientific masterpiece the Principia (Spielvolgel 379). Newton’s law of universal gravity basically states that the gravitational force of an object is tied directly to its size. Thus, as Europa orbits Jupiter in a highly elliptical orbit, from a point far away from Jupiter, then moving to a point closest towards Jupiter, Jupiter’s massive gravity pulls on, and deforms Europa, from the shape of a sphere to that of a football, about every 74 hours. As Europa moves back and forth in its elliptical orbit around Jupiter, it creates a great deal of internal heating inside Europa, due to the tremendous tidal forces of Jupiter’s gravity (Tyler 770). The important effect of this deformation is the internal heat it creates inside Europa, making it possible for Europa to have a liquid ocean beneath 7 miles of solid ice. Information gained from NASA’s Jupiter space probe Galileo (1995-2003), suggests that the surface of Europa has an egg-like shell of ice, approximately 7 miles thick, hiding a warm, deep, liquid water ocean. It is generally accepted that Europa’s ocean is approximately 60 mile deep, and contains more water than all the water found on Earth. The vast majority of space scientists agree that where there is heat (a source of energy), and liquid water, the possibility for life is great. In Earth’s oceans, at depths of over 15,000 ft near the Galapagos Islands, deep-sea hydrothermal vents were discovered recently. A hydrothermal vent is an underwater structure like a vent, where hot, mineral rich water blows out of the bottom of the ocean floor. Surrounding these hydrothermal vents are communities of living creatures, such as giant tubeworms, shrimp, and crabs. Not only are they living in total darkness, but also in temperatures close to 700 ° f. For decades, scientists considered these conditions for life impossible, thus with a better understanding of the tenacity of life, finding life on a moon of Jupiter does not seem impossible, or perhaps, probable (The American Museum of Natural History . web). One of, if not the greatest question of mankind has been about our place in the universe, or more specifically, are we alone in the universe? Europa is the perfect place to look for life, it is close enough to get to, and we possess the technology to get there. Thus, if NASA were to send a robotic orbiter and complex lander to Europa, the lander’s mission would be to penetrate Europa’s 7 mile thick ice shell. This could be accomplished by employing a submersible robotic probe which would bury its way through the ice, using a nuclear tipped heat source to melt the ice, and explore this vast ocean. Even if simple microbiological life were found, this would answer the greatest question of all time. If life formed independently in the great ocean of Europa, this discovery would prove that life exists throughout the universe, and have a profound effect on mankind’s view of his place in the universe. Sources and defense of sources: Tyler, Robert. â€Å"Strong Ocean Tidal Flow and Heating on Moons of the Outer Planets† Nature 456 (12 December 2008): 770-722. Professor Robert Tyler is an Oceanographer, and Affiliate Assistant Professor in Earth and Space Science at the University of Washington’s Applied Physics Laboratory. Professor Tyler was one source of information I used in my paper (Tyler 770). I found this information in an article he authored in the journal Nature, which has been in existence since 1868. Nature is the worlds most highly cited interdisciplinary science journal, according to the 2008 Journal Citation Report Science Edition (Thomson, 2009). The journal Nature is a venue for authors of scientific papers on a variety of scientific subjects to get their work published. All papers are peer reviewed (see http://www. nature. com/authors/editorial_policies/peer_review. html) for Natures review policy. With respect to evaluating this source used for my paper, I find this author, his credentials, and the reputation of publication Nature, to be credible. In our class syllabus on page 6, one of the suggested internet based websites was a museum website. Thus, with respect to using an internet based source for my paper, I chose The American Museum of Natural History (http://www. amnh. org/nationalcenter/expeditions/blacksmokers/index. html). After examining the websites sponsors, collaborators, and viewing this information presented on the PBS television show, NOVA, I consider this websites information to be a credible source on hydrothermal vents I discussed in my paper. - - - Newton’s law of gravitational attraction.