Lecture 11: Beyond Mars - the World of Solar System Planets & their Moons: Europa, Titan, Enceladus 1. Giant planets vs. Earth-like planets 2. Life beyond the habitable zone (HZ) 3. Beyond the HZ - Europa. 4. Beyond the HZ - Enceladus. 5. Beyond the HZ - Titan.
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Giant planets vs. Earth-like planets Life beyond the habitable zone (HZ) Beyond the HZ - Europa.
Lecture 11: Beyond Mars - the World of Solar System Planets & their Moons: Europa, Titan, Enceladus. Giant planets vs. Earth-like planets Life beyond the habitable zone (HZ) Beyond the HZ - Europa. Beyond the HZ - Enceladus. Beyond the HZ - Titan. The Giant Planets. The Giant Planets. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Lecture 11: Beyond Mars - the World of Solar System Planets & their Moons: Europa, Titan, Enceladus
1. Giant planets vs. Earth-like planets2. Life beyond the habitable zone (HZ)3. Beyond the HZ - Europa.4. Beyond the HZ - Enceladus.5. Beyond the HZ - Titan.
The Giant Planets
The Giant Planets
The Giant Planets
Beyond the HZ:
Radiant heating from a parent star is not the only way to provide an energy source:
(1) Planetary interiors: radioactive & core heat Deep Biosphere Lab (Sweden): hyperthermophiles at depths of ~ 6 km (80 C).
(2) Tidal heating
Beyond the HZ: Europa
Beyond the HZ: Europa
What is on Europa’s surface ?
Blue: pure water;Red: ice covered with dust veneer
(Galileo orbiter)
Beyond the HZ: Europa
‘Icebergs’ on Europa:
Many pieces are a fewkilometers in size;
70km x 30km area
(Galileo orbiter)
Beyond the HZ: Europa
(Galileo orbiter)
Beyond the HZ: EuropaThe inferred interior with two possible upper layers:
Warm ‘slush’
Liquid ocean
Beyond the HZ: Europa
There are a couple ofdeveloped NASA proposals toexplore Europa’s ocean;
this artist conception is fromone of them called ‘ICEPICK’
Beyond the HZ: Europa
Measuring the ocean’sdepth and the thickness ofthe ice crust.The Europa orbiter will makesensitive gravimetricmeasurements by recordingvery slight changes in itsorbit. (NASA project)
(J. Lunine 2005)
Beyond the HZ: Enceladus
Picture of Enceladus in front ofSaturn and its rings(Cassini mission, March 2006):