Life in the Universe (4th Edition)
4th Edition
ISBN: 9780134089089
Author: Jeffrey O. Bennett, Seth Shostak
Publisher: PEARSON
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Chapter 9, Problem 38IF
Lessons for Life. Considering everything we’ve learned about the possible habitability of jovian moons, make a list of what you think are the three most important lessons that apply to the search for life in other solar systems. Describe the importance of each lesson clearly, and conclude by summarizing how the study of jovian moons has changed our perspective about life in the universe.
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At present, NASA is planning a mission to Europa, to try and assess its habitability. An argument might also be made for Enceladus, however.
Let's imagine you had to pick one of those moons to send an uncrewed (i.e. robotic) mission to. The spacecraft will probably orbit the giant planet (Jupiter in the case of Europa, Saturn in the case of Enceladus), and make many flybys of the moon you're studying.
Which moon would you pick, and why? The goal here is to briefly discuss the pros and cons of each moon as a target for a mission. You don't even have to have a strong preference either way, just lay out a few pros and cons for each.
At present, NASA is planning a mission to Europa, to try and assess its habitability. An argument might also be made for Enceladus, however.
Let's imagine you had to pick one of those moons to send an uncrewed (i.e. robotic) mission to. The spacecraft will probably orbit the giant planet (Jupiter in the case of Europa, Saturn in the case of Enceladus), and make many flybys of the moon you're studying.
Which moon would you pick, and why? The goal here is to briefly discuss the pros and cons of each moon as a target for a mission. You don't even have to have a strong preference either way, just lay out a few pros and cons for each.
Breaking this into a few short paragraphs will probably be a good idea
Theory and Observation. Discuss the interplay between theory and observation that has led to our modern theory of solar system formation. What role does technology play in allowing us to test this theory?
Chapter 9 Solutions
Life in the Universe (4th Edition)
Ch. 9 - Briefly explain how the larger jovian moons tend...Ch. 9 - Briefly describe the cause of the tides on Earth,...Ch. 9 - What is synchronous rotation, and why is it so...Ch. 9 - What is tidal heating? Briefly explain how it can...Ch. 9 - Describe the evidence suggesting that Europa has a...Ch. 9 - What energy sources might be available to life on...Ch. 9 - Describe the evidence for subsurface oceans on...Ch. 9 - Why was Titan chosen for such intense study by the...Ch. 9 - Based on recent data, describe the general nature...Ch. 9 - What evidence suggests that Enceladus might be...
Ch. 9 - Could Triton be habitable? Briefly discuss the...Ch. 9 - What do we mean by chemical equilibrium and...Ch. 9 - Prob. 13RQCh. 9 - Based on our understanding of the chemistry of...Ch. 9 - Io is riddled with volcanoes because of its...Ch. 9 - Europa is likely to have fishlike organisms the...Ch. 9 - While Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto are all...Ch. 9 - The fact that our Moon keeps one side always...Ch. 9 - Titan is simply too cold to have any life.Ch. 9 - Triton might have life that uses liquid ammonia,...Ch. 9 - Io doesnt have a significant atmosphere because it...Ch. 9 - Orbital resonances like those among Io, Europa,...Ch. 9 - If there is life on Enceladus, it probably gets...Ch. 9 - If our solar system is typical, other star systems...Ch. 9 - The moons of Saturn may have large amounts of...Ch. 9 - Which statement about synchronous rotation is...Ch. 9 - Io is covered in volcanoes while Europa is covered...Ch. 9 - Which of the following is not an indication of...Ch. 9 - Photosynthesis is an unlikely source of energy for...Ch. 9 - Its assumed that, even if Europa has life, the...Ch. 9 - The chances for life on Titans surface are...Ch. 9 - Where might we find liquid water on Titan? (a) in...Ch. 9 - Why were scientists so surprised to find active...Ch. 9 - Chemical disequilibrium is likely to be present in...Ch. 9 - Cost-Effective Exploration. Given its budget, NASA...Ch. 9 - Lessons for Life. Considering everything weve...Ch. 9 - Exploring Europa I. Although Europa is a promising...Ch. 9 - Exploring Europa II. One suggestion for...Ch. 9 - Europan Fish. On Earth, fish breathe oxygen that...Ch. 9 - Life on Titan. Several possibilities have been...Ch. 9 - Migrating Life. As we discussed in Chapter 6,...Ch. 9 - Orbital Resonances I. Using the data in Appendix...Ch. 9 - Orbital Resonances II. Using the data in Appendix...Ch. 9 - Tidal Force on the Moon. In Cosmic Calculations...Ch. 9 - Tidal Force on Io. Using the procedure from Cosmic...Ch. 9 - Tidal Force on Europa and Ganymede. Using the...Ch. 9 - Limited Thinking. Throughout this book, we have...Ch. 9 - Europa Orbiter. Find out the current status of...
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- Considering what you learned from the solar nebula theory, how likely do you think it is to find habitable planets in other solar systems? Visit NASA’s Kepler mission to learn more about this search, and write a ½ page summary on the mission.arrow_forwardHow can a planet’s atmosphere affect the width of the habitable zone in its planetary system?arrow_forwardWhat is the best way to determine if a exoplanet has life inside it? Group of answer choices Detect the star the exoplanet is orbiting and compare it to the Sun. Detect the exoplanet and determine if it is in the habitable zone of the star. Detect the exoplanet and study the atmosphere of the exoplanet. Detect the exoplanet and determine its age to see if it is similar to the age of the Earth.arrow_forward
- For which of the following reasons (select all that apply), is it useful/important to send rovers to other planetary bodies in our solar system? a. More direct probes of the planetary surface are possible to detect signs of the building blocks of life. b. Rovers/landers can be outfitted with various tools and equipment that can be used to inform of us of the geological histories of each of the planets they visit. c. Rock samples can be used to calibrate our estimations of the age of the solar system. d. The data collected can help improve our understanding of the evolution/development of our solar system. e. The engineering innovations developed to produce successful/viable rovers and landers on other planets can help lead to developments in the technology used here on Earth that may have taken far more time to develop without the limitations provided by space travel to foreign worlds.arrow_forwardWhich of the following is least reasonable regarding the concept of a habitable zone? Group of answer choices M-type stars have wider habitable zones than G-type stars. It is a region around a star where liquid water could be found on a planet's surface. The habitable zone of a less massive star would be closer to the star. In the course of millions of years, our habitable zone will slowly shift from Earth to Mars. The Galactic habitable zone cannot be too close to the Galactic center because the radiation from the bright stars and supernovae in the crowded inner part of the Galaxy would probably be detrimental to life.arrow_forwardGiven what you've learned about the solar nebula idea, what do you believe the likelihood is of discovering livable planets in other solar systems? Learn more about this search by visiting NASA's Kepler mission and writing a half-page overview of the project.arrow_forward
- The principle cause of our intense interest in Mars in the decades before the dawn of the space age was that Answers: A. a few astronomers believed that they saw evidence of an intelligent civilization on Mars. B. Mars has seasons just like the Earth and therefore should be inhabitable by humans. C. Mars has an unusual surface color and global dust storms, creating strange weather patterns. D. Mars has unusual orbital properties making our understanding of its motion around the Sun very difficult.arrow_forward7. Complete the table below for the habitability of several solar system planets. Temperature can be hot, moderate, or cold. Amount of atmosphere can be thin, thick, or moderate. Liquid wa- ter amount can be lots, little, or none. Planet Venus Temperature Liquid Water Atmosphere Earth Marsarrow_forwardB) Summarize the four general features of our solar system that a solar system formation theory must address. C) Briefly explain why we think our solar system ended up with rocky worlds in its inner regions and icy or gaseous worlds in its outer regions.arrow_forward
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