Life in the Universe (4th Edition)
4th Edition
ISBN: 9780134089089
Author: Jeffrey O. Bennett, Seth Shostak
Publisher: PEARSON
expand_more
expand_more
format_list_bulleted
Textbook Question
Chapter 9, Problem 30TYU
It’s assumed that, even if Europa has life, the total amount of that life will be small. That’s because (a) Europa is only about as big as our own Moon, and consequently there’s not much room for life; (b) the ocean will be cold, slowing down
Expert Solution & Answer
Want to see the full answer?
Check out a sample textbook solutionStudents have asked these similar questions
A newly discovered orange dwarf star has a surface temperature of approximately 5185 K. How far would its Goldilocks Zone be from the star if an astrologist wanted to look for potentially habitable planets? And how wide would the zone be?
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
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...
Additional Science Textbook Solutions
Find more solutions based on key concepts
The pV-diagram of the Carnot cycle.
Sears And Zemansky's University Physics With Modern Physics
2. Julie drives 100 mi to Grandmother’s house. On the way to Grandmother’s, Julie drives half the distance at 4...
Physics for Scientists and Engineers: A Strategic Approach, Vol. 1 (Chs 1-21) (4th Edition)
3. What is free-fall, and why does it make you weightless? Briefly describe why astronauts are weightless in th...
The Cosmic Perspective
A ball rebounds elastically from the floor. What doesthis situation share with the ideas of momentum conservati...
Modern Physics
Choose the best answer to each of the following. Explain your reasoning. Which of these star clusters is younge...
Cosmic Perspective Fundamentals
17. (I) How much work is required to stop an electron (m = 9.11 x 10-31 kg) which is moving with a speed of 1.1...
Physics: Principles with Applications
Knowledge Booster
Learn more about
Need a deep-dive on the concept behind this application? Look no further. Learn more about this topic, physics and related others by exploring similar questions and additional content below.Similar questions
- If we do find life on Mars, what might be some ways to check whether it formed separately from Earth life, or whether exchanges of material between the two planets meant that the two forms of life have a common origin?arrow_forwardWhy is life unlikely to be found on the surface of Mars today?arrow_forwardGiven that no sunlight can penetrate Europa’s ice shell, what would be the type of energy that could make some form of europan life possible?arrow_forward
- Why are Mars and Europa the top targets for the study of astrobiology?arrow_forwardA radio broadcast left Earth in 1911. How far in light years has it traveled? If there is, on average, 1 star system per 400 cubic light years, how many star systems has this broadcast reached? Assume that the fraction of these star systems that have planets is 0.50 and that, in a given planetary system, the average number of planets that have orbited in the habitable zone for 4 billion years is 0.20. How many possible planets with life could have heard this signal?arrow_forwardHow does the habitable zone differ for a star hotter than the sun?arrow_forward
arrow_back_ios
arrow_forward_ios
Recommended textbooks for you
- AstronomyPhysicsISBN:9781938168284Author:Andrew Fraknoi; David Morrison; Sidney C. WolffPublisher:OpenStax
- Stars and Galaxies (MindTap Course List)PhysicsISBN:9781337399944Author:Michael A. SeedsPublisher:Cengage LearningFoundations of Astronomy (MindTap Course List)PhysicsISBN:9781337399920Author:Michael A. Seeds, Dana BackmanPublisher:Cengage LearningStars and GalaxiesPhysicsISBN:9781305120785Author:Michael A. Seeds, Dana BackmanPublisher:Cengage Learning
Astronomy
Physics
ISBN:9781938168284
Author:Andrew Fraknoi; David Morrison; Sidney C. Wolff
Publisher:OpenStax
Stars and Galaxies (MindTap Course List)
Physics
ISBN:9781337399944
Author:Michael A. Seeds
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Foundations of Astronomy (MindTap Course List)
Physics
ISBN:9781337399920
Author:Michael A. Seeds, Dana Backman
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Stars and Galaxies
Physics
ISBN:9781305120785
Author:Michael A. Seeds, Dana Backman
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Kepler's Three Laws Explained; Author: PhysicsHigh;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyR6EO_RMKE;License: Standard YouTube License, CC-BY