NASA Director of Planetary Science James Green predicts the discovery of possible alien life present in the solar system in 10 years. He also revealed 4 places most likely to have alien life.
"The data that we're receiving is really exciting in telling us, forcing us to think about this in new and exciting ways. I believe we're on the right track...If we answer it, and it's positive, then life is everywhere in the solar system. Just think about that-we might not be alone," he said during a TED Talk last November, where he also pinpointed why the space agency thinks that there might be alien life.
Here are the 4 places NASA think are most likely to harbor life in the solar system.
Mars
It's hard to visualize the dry, dusty land of Mars as a place for life but NASA recently learned of an ancient ocean where water flowed for possibly hundreds millions of years ago. The rovers sent by the space-exploring agency driving around Mars today haven't found life yet, but they have found copious indication that Mars was a warmer, wetter world for billions of years in the past. Orbital missions found out also that Mars isn't as arid as conventional knowledge might suggest.
A few months ago, NASA alluded that they found signs of liquid water in the craters on the Red Planet. Life needs water so there is always hope on Mars. The existing rovers in the Red Planet have sought for microscopic life but it hasn't found anything yet, though they aren't actually optimally intended for the task. NASA's next plan of sending another Mars rover will be launched in 2020, which will surely use better facilities to seek for microscopic organisms.
Enceladus (Saturn's Moon)
For decades, Enceladus left experts uncertain why it is the brightest world in the solar system and how it is being related to Saturn's ring. Eventually, the Cassini Spacecraft discovered that the fresh covering on its surface and icy material in the ring created from openings of the moon linked to a global subsurface saltwater ocean that might host hydrothermal outlets.
NASA director said that the moon is ice but surprisingly, it's blasting water out into the solar system. Silicon particles have also been found.
"Where does the Silica come from? It must come from the ocean floor. The tidal energy created by Saturn is pulling and squeezing this moon, melting that ice and creating an ocean. But it's also doing that to the core. The only thing we can think of that does that here on Earth as an analogy are hydrothermal vents," Green said.
"We believe because it has water and has had it for a significant period of time and because it has hydrothermal vents with the right organic material, it could be a place where life exists-and not just microbiol-because it has had time to evolve."
Europa (Jupiter's Moon)
The Hubble Space Telescope discovered water shooting out from the surface of the moon. The tidal flexing caused by the gravity of Jupiter and other Jovian moons seems to be generating enough heat to Europa, which explains how there is liquid and plate tectonic activity in it despite being far away from the Sun and its icy state.
"This is a fabulous set of discoveries because these moons have been in this environment like that for billions of years. Life started here on earth after about the first 500 million, and look where we are," Green said.
Lakes almost the size of the Black Sea have been found in some places. Methane has been found as well.
"If there's any place in the solar system where life is not like us, where the substitute of water is another solvent and it could be methane, it could be Titan," Green added.
Titan (Saturn's Moon)
Lakes in Titan that are almost the same size as the Black Sea have been found. Methane has been found as well.
"If there's any place in the solar system where life is not like us, where the substitute of water is another solvent and it could be methane, it could be Titan," Green said.
