Scientists find water plumes shooting off Jupiter moon
38 replies, posted
[I]New images from Hubble Space Telescope show water vapor blasting out of moon believed to have underground ocean[/I]
December 12, 2013
10:03PM ET
[t]http://america.aljazeera.com/content/ajam/articles/2013/12/12/scientists-find-waterplumesshootingoffjupitermoon/jcr:content/mainpar/adaptiveimage/src.adapt.960.high.1386910701616.jpg[/t]
[I]This is an artist's conception of a plume of water vapor thought to be ejected off the frigid, icy surface of the Jovian moon Europa, located about 500 million miles from the sun. NASA/ESA/K Retherford/SWRI[/I]
[quote]New observations from the Hubble Space Telescope show jets of water vapor blasting off the southern pole of Europa, an ice-covered moon of Jupiter that is believed to hold an underground ocean, scientists said Thursday.
If confirmed, the discovery could affect scientists' assessments of whether the moon has the right conditions for life, planetary scientist Kurt Retherford, with the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas, told reporters at the American Geophysical Union conference in San Francisco.
"We've only seen this at one location right now, so to try to infer that there's a global effect as a result of this is a little difficult at this time," Retherford said.[/quote]
[url]http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/12/12/scientists-find-waterplumesshootingoffjupitermoon.html[/url]
I suppose it isn't a moment too soon that they found a water source; given what's happening in the world at large these days we may be forced to mine water from off-planet just to keep the cycle turning.
It'd be cool if there was some sort of life in the underground ocean.
That may very well be possible because life exists in similar conditions on earth; little organisms feeding on nutrients from hydrothermal vents deep in the ocean where there is no sunlight.
We need to send a damn probe to Europa already to explore under its ice!
I fucking love Europa.
NASA needs more funding.
[QUOTE=Widgeon;43167543]NASA needs more funding.[/QUOTE]
Is there oil?
[QUOTE=WoodenSpoon;43167515]We need to send a damn probe to Europa already to explore under its ice![/QUOTE]
It's quite the large undertaking. First you have to get through the ice, which is a few kilometers of solid, rock-hard ice. Then you have to make sure said hole doesn't freeze up/damage your tether to the surface, the you have to make sure your ROV can withstand the extreme conditions, and your telecommunications thing at the surface can too, and a whole bunch of other little things that could cause the mission to fail.
It makes Curiosity and it's 7 minutes of terror look like leisurely session of Kerbal Space Program.
Once they figure out how to cut what actually needs to be cut and not things like airshows and national parks, NASA might have a chance to win a chance to get some more money.
We could do it, but not with NASA's current budget.
[img]http://yfrog.com/ehbjip:iphone[/img]
It's always been Europa that sets the stage for exciting discoveries. I bet there's definitely bacteria at least under the ice.
[QUOTE=Zonesylvania;43167286]I suppose it isn't a moment too soon that they found a water source; given what's happening in the world at large these days we may be forced to mine water from off-planet just to keep the cycle turning.[/QUOTE]
Most of our planet [I]is[/I] water. What situation could possibly happen within the next ~100 years that would even begin to make off-world water imports sound needed and practical?
[QUOTE=Zonesylvania;43167286]I suppose it isn't a moment too soon that they found a water source; given what's happening in the world at large these days we may be forced to mine water from off-planet just to keep the cycle turning.[/QUOTE]
... or we could just desalinate the other 71% of this planet first. The nice thing about the water cycle is it's a cycle. It's the same stuff since forever. It just doesn't always end up as fresh, drinkable water most the time. We have easy solutions to fix that. If things get so bad that our water outright disappears well then we probably won't be alive to worry about it. (Earth would basically be Mars by then)
Sorry if I'm mistaken but isn't this kind of late? I could of sworn I saw a documentary a while back with Alex Philipenko and Neil deGrasse Tyson talking about this thing.
[QUOTE=Mr.95;43167645]Sorry if I'm mistaken but isn't this kind of late? I could of sworn I saw a documentary a while back with Alex Philipenko and Neil deGrasse Tyson talking about this thing.[/QUOTE]
these are just new observations. and since the plumes weren't seen by all the probes near Europa and they're not active all the time, it's important that we figure out that it's an observable phenomena and narrow down where on the planet that it happens. now we just have more data to work with.
[QUOTE=Rocko's;43167293]It'd be cool if there was some sort of life in the underground ocean.[/QUOTE]
It would be very basic.
It could be just extremophiles living very deep in.
That sketch is a bit ridiculous, but this is still cool!
[QUOTE=Rocko's;43167293]It'd be cool if there was some sort of life in the underground ocean.[/QUOTE]
Wonder how the gravity would effect them.
[QUOTE=S31-Syntax;43167602]Most of our planet [I]is[/I] water. What situation could possibly happen within the next ~100 years that would even begin to make off-world water imports sound needed and practical?[/QUOTE]
Our planet is only covered by water, most of it underneath the surface consists of minerals.
[QUOTE=Kefirman;43168381]Our planet is only covered by water, most of it underneath the surface consists of minerals.[/QUOTE]
Semantics. The point is that water, as a resource, is a non-issue on this planet, and it will continue to be a non-issue for millenia.
[QUOTE=Furioso;43168446]Semantics. The point is that water, as a resource, is a non-issue on this planet, and it will continue to be a non-issue for millenia.[/QUOTE]
The only issue is acquiring clean and drinkable water, which isn't a problem if people stopped being greedy and careless bastards.
[QUOTE=OvB;43167549]It's quite the large undertaking. First you have to get through the ice, which is a few kilometers of solid, rock-hard ice. Then you have to make sure said hole doesn't freeze up/damage your tether to the surface, the you have to make sure your ROV can withstand the extreme conditions, and your telecommunications thing at the surface can too, and a whole bunch of other little things that could cause the mission to fail.
It makes Curiosity and it's 7 minutes of terror look like leisurely session of Kerbal Space Program.[/QUOTE]
Nuclear shaped charge
Check mate Europa
[editline]13th December 2013[/editline]
If there are any life forms below the ice I am sure we would be able to find their remains.
[QUOTE=laserguided;43167546]Is there oil?[/QUOTE]
Titan has literal seas and lakes of oil.
[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;43169231]Nuclear shaped charge
Check mate Europa
[editline]13th December 2013[/editline]
If there are any life forms below the ice I am sure we would be able to find their remains.[/QUOTE]
It also sends a powerful message to any extraterrestrial future terrorists. Don't fuck with planet America.
[QUOTE=Rents;43169721]Titan has literal seas and lakes of oil.[/QUOTE]
Isn't it methane?
[QUOTE=Rents;43169721]Titan has literal seas and lakes of oil.[/QUOTE]
Methane.
[editline]13th December 2013[/editline]
[QUOTE=Saturn V;43169783]Isn't it methane?[/QUOTE]
Yes.
[QUOTE=OvB;43167549]It's quite the large undertaking. First you have to get through the ice, which is a few kilometers of solid, rock-hard ice. Then you have to make sure said hole doesn't freeze up/damage your tether to the surface, the you have to make sure your ROV can withstand the extreme conditions, and your telecommunications thing at the surface can too, and a whole bunch of other little things that could cause the mission to fail.
It makes Curiosity and it's 7 minutes of terror look like leisurely session of Kerbal Space Program.[/QUOTE]
Well, like I always say, nothing worth doing is ever easy.
[QUOTE=LarparNar;43169983]Methane.
[editline]13th December 2013[/editline]
Yes.[/QUOTE]
Or lakes of farts to quote the well spoken Brian Cox
[QUOTE=BreenIsALie;43170042]Or lakes of farts to quote the well spoken Brian Cox[/QUOTE]
:v: Brian Cox is awesome.
[QUOTE=BreenIsALie;43170042]Or lakes of farts to quote the well spoken Brian Cox[/QUOTE]
We should tape a 10 mile wide "No Smoking" sign to Titan's surface. Wouldn't want the whole planet to go up in flames, would we?
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