• Question: On one of jupiters moons there is ice if there ice there is water were there is water is there living orgamisms.

    Asked by 11cjohnson123 to Callum, Gina, Katie, Michelle, Sam on 16 Nov 2012.
    • Photo: Michelle Linterman

      Michelle Linterman answered on 16 Nov 2012:

      This moon is called Europa (Enceladus around Saturn is similar). Both may have liquid water under their icy surfaces, so there is the possibility that they could have life. However, until we can send a mission to take a very close at look at some of that water it’ll be very hard to know if there’s life or not!

    • Photo: Callum Johnston

      Callum Johnston answered on 16 Nov 2012:

      Earth has lots of lucky features which make it a pretty special place in space and therefore able to support life. I think there will be life on other planets but they are more likely to be in different solar systems not our own.

    • Photo: Sam Godfrey

      Sam Godfrey answered on 16 Nov 2012:

      Yes I heard that too. Really cool. There is even talk of one day sending a probe to that moon to try and drill through the ice and take samples. It is thought to be one of the few places in our solar system that might have a form of life. The thing that is not in its favour is the temperature. Scientists thing that life needs to be in what are called Goldilocks zones. Not too hot or to cold. So the moon would need volcanoes or something to warm the very bottom of the frozen oceans.

    • Photo: Katie Howe

      Katie Howe answered on 16 Nov 2012:

      The fact that there is water there suggests that there might be life in some form but maybe not life as we know it from earth. We would need to send a spacecraft there to investigate but its so far away it would take a really long time to get there!

      There are so many other solar systems and galaxys out there I think it is possible that we will find life out there somewhere! Or maybe it will find us first! Scary thought!

      Thanks for your interesting question!

    • Photo: Gina Tse

      Gina Tse answered on 17 Nov 2012:

      There could be life on Jupiter’s moon but unfortunately it hasn’t be possible to explore it to confirm or deny it.
      Scientists predict it might be able to support life because there is water on it, but like Callum says our Earth has not only water but other features that make life possible. So we need to explore that moon first to see if it has the right climate and environment.

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