DOCSLIB.ORG

Factors That Contribute to Making a Planet Habitable

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Factors That Contribute to Making a Planet Habitable What Makes a World Habitable? Use this table to identify the factors (and the appropriate levels) that will enable you to design your habitable worlds. Factors that make a Not Enough of the Factor Just Right Too Much of the Factor Situation in the Solar System Planet Habitable Low temperatures cause chemicals At about 125oC, protein and Life seems limited to a Surface: Only Earth’s surface is in Temperature to react slowly, which interferes carbohydrate molecules and temperature range of minus 15oC this temperature range. with the reactions necessary for genetic material (e.g., DNA and Influences how quickly to 115oC. In this range, liquid Sub-surface: The interior of the life. Also low temperatures freeze RNA) start to break apart. Also, atoms & molecules water can still exist under certain solid planets & moons may be in water, making liquid water high temperatures quickly move conditions. this temperature range. unavailable. evaporate water. Surface: Only Earth’s surface has water, though Mars once had surface water and still has water ice in its polar ice caps. Saturn’s moon, Water Water is regularly available. Life Too much water is not a The chemicals a cell needs for Titan, seems to be covered with can go dormant between wet problem, as long as it is not so Dissolves & transports energy & growth are not dissolved liquid methane. periods, but, eventually, water toxic that it interferes with the chemicals within and to or transported to the cell Sub-surface: Mars & some moons needs to be available. chemistry of life and from a cell have deposits of underground ice, which might melt to produce water. Europa, has a vast oceans beneath its outer shell if ice. Atmosphere Small planets and moons have Earth & Venus are the right size to Venus’s atmosphere is 100 times Of the solid planets & moons, only Traps heat, shields the insufficient gravity to hold an hold a sufficient-sized atmosphere. thicker than Earth’s. It is made Earth, Venus, & Titan have surface from harmful atmosphere. The gas molecules Earth’s atmosphere is about 100 almost entirely of greenhouse significant atmospheres. Mars’ radiation, and provides th escape to space, leaving the planet miles thick. It keeps the surface gasses, making the surface too atmosphere is about 1/100 that of chemicals needed for or moon without an insulating warm & protects it from radiation & hot for life. The four giant planets Earth’s, too small for significant life, such as nitrogen blanket or a protective shield. small- to medium-sized meteorites. are completely made of gas. insulation or shielding. and carbon dioxide. Light energy is a problem if it Surface: The inner planets get too Energy When there is too little sunlight or With a steady input of either light makes a planet too hot or if there much sunlight for life. The outer too few of the chemicals that or chemical energy, cells can run Organisms use light or are too many harmful rays, such planets get too little. provide energy to cells, such as iron the chemical reactions necessary chemical energy to run as ultraviolet. Too many energy- Sub-surface: Most solid planets & or sulfur, organisms die. for life. their life processes. rich chemicals is not a problem moons have energy-rich chemicals. Without chemicals to make proteins Surface: Earth has a water cycle, Too many nutrients are not a & carbohydrates, organisms cannot All solid planets & moons have the an atmosphere, and volcanoes to problem. However, too active a grow. Planets without systems to same general chemical makeup, so circulate nutrients. Venus, Titan, Io, Nutrients circulation system, such as the deliver nutrients to its organisms nutrients are present. Those with a and Mars have nutrients and ways constant volcanism on Jupiter’s Used to build and (e.g., a water cycle or volcanic water cycle or volcanic activity can to circulate them to organisms. moon, Io, or the churning maintain an organism’s activity) cannot support life. Also, transport and replenish the Sub-surface: Any planet or moon atmospheres of the gas planets, body. when nutrients are spread so thin chemicals required by living with sub-surface water or molten interferes with an organism’s that they are hard to obtain, such organisms. rock can circulate and replenish ability to get enough nutrients. as on a gas planet, life cannot exist. nutrients for organisms. .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Lab 7: Gravity and Jupiter's Moons
    Lab 7: Gravity and Jupiter's Moons Image of Galileo Spacecraft Gravity is the force that binds all astronomical structures. Clusters of galaxies are gravitationally bound into the largest structures in the Universe, Galactic Superclusters. The galaxies themselves are held together by gravity, as are all of the star systems within them. Our own Solar System is a collection of bodies gravitationally bound to our star, Sol. Cutting edge science requires the use of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity to explain gravity. But the interactions of the bodies in our Solar System were understood long before Einstein's time. In chapter two of Chaisson McMillan's Astronomy Today, you went over Kepler's Laws. These laws of gravity were made to describe the interactions in our Solar System. P2=a3/M Where 'P' is the orbital period in Earth years, the time for the body to make one full orbit. 'a' is the length of the orbit's semi-major axis, for nearly circular orbits the orbital radius. 'M' is the total mass of the system in units of Solar Masses. Jupiter System Montage picture from NASA ID = PIA01481 Jupiter has over 60 moons at the last count, most of which are asteroids and comets captured from Written by Meagan White and Paul Lewis Page 1 the Asteroid Belt. When Galileo viewed Jupiter through his early telescope, he noticed only four moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. The Jupiter System can be thought of as a miniature Solar System, with Jupiter in place of the Sun, and the Galilean moons like planets.
    [Show full text]
  • The Geology of the Rocky Bodies Inside Enceladus, Europa, Titan, and Ganymede
    49th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2018 (LPI Contrib. No. 2083) 2905.pdf THE GEOLOGY OF THE ROCKY BODIES INSIDE ENCELADUS, EUROPA, TITAN, AND GANYMEDE. Paul K. Byrne1, Paul V. Regensburger1, Christian Klimczak2, DelWayne R. Bohnenstiehl1, Steven A. Hauck, II3, Andrew J. Dombard4, and Douglas J. Hemingway5, 1Planetary Research Group, Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA ([email protected]), 2Department of Geology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA, 3Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA, 4Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA, 5Department of Earth & Planetary Science, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. Introduction: The icy satellites of Jupiter and horizontal stresses, respectively, Pp is pore fluid Saturn have been the subjects of substantial geological pressure (found from (3)), and μ is the coefficient of study. Much of this work has focused on their outer friction [12]. Finally, because equations (4) and (5) shells [e.g., 1–3], because that is the part most readily assess failure in the brittle domain, we also considered amenable to analysis. Yet many of these satellites ductile deformation with the relation n –E/RT feature known or suspected subsurface oceans [e.g., 4– ε̇ = C1σ exp , (6) 6], likely situated atop rocky interiors [e.g., 7], and where ε̇ is strain rate, C1 is a constant, σ is deviatoric several are of considerable astrobiological significance. stress, n is the stress exponent, E is activation energy, R For example, chemical reactions at the rock–water is the universal gas constant, and T is temperature [13].
    [Show full text]
  • Astronomy 330 HW 2 Presentations Outline
    Astronomy 330 HW 2 •! Stanley Swat This class (Lecture 12): http://www.ufohowto.com/ Life in the Solar System •! Lucas Guthrie Next Class: http://www.crystalinks.com/abduction.html Life in the Solar System HW 5 is due Wednesday Music: We Are All Made of Stars– Moby Presentations Outline •! Daniel Borup •! Life on Venus? Futurama •! Life on Mars? Life in the Solar System? Earth – Venus comparison •! We want to examine in more detail the backyard of humans. •! What we find may change our estimates of ne. Radius 0.95 Earth Surface gravity 0.91 Earth Venus is the hottest Mass 0.81 Earth planet, the closest in Distance from Sun 0.72 AU size to Earth, the closest Average Temp 475 C in distance to Earth, and Year 224.7 Earth days the planet with the Length of Day 116.8 Earth days longest day. Atmosphere 96% CO2 What We Used to Think Turns Out that Venus is Hell Venus must be hotter, as it is closer the Sun, but the cloud •! The surface is hot enough to melt lead cover must reflect back a large amount of the heat. •! There is a runaway greenhouse effect •! There is almost no water In 1918, a Swedish chemist and Nobel laureate concluded: •! There is sulfuric acid rain •! Everything on Venus is dripping wet. •! Most of the surface is no doubt covered with swamps. •! Not a place to visit for Spring Break. •! The constantly uniform climatic conditions result in an entire absence of adaptation to changing exterior conditions. •! Only low forms of life are therefore represented, mostly no doubt, belonging to the vegetable kingdom; and the organisms are nearly of the same kind all over the planet.
    [Show full text]
  • Exomoon Habitability Constrained by Illumination and Tidal Heating
    submitted to Astrobiology: April 6, 2012 accepted by Astrobiology: September 8, 2012 published in Astrobiology: January 24, 2013 this updated draft: October 30, 2013 doi:10.1089/ast.2012.0859 Exomoon habitability constrained by illumination and tidal heating René HellerI , Rory BarnesII,III I Leibniz-Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP), An der Sternwarte 16, 14482 Potsdam, Germany, [email protected] II Astronomy Department, University of Washington, Box 951580, Seattle, WA 98195, [email protected] III NASA Astrobiology Institute – Virtual Planetary Laboratory Lead Team, USA Abstract The detection of moons orbiting extrasolar planets (“exomoons”) has now become feasible. Once they are discovered in the circumstellar habitable zone, questions about their habitability will emerge. Exomoons are likely to be tidally locked to their planet and hence experience days much shorter than their orbital period around the star and have seasons, all of which works in favor of habitability. These satellites can receive more illumination per area than their host planets, as the planet reflects stellar light and emits thermal photons. On the contrary, eclipses can significantly alter local climates on exomoons by reducing stellar illumination. In addition to radiative heating, tidal heating can be very large on exomoons, possibly even large enough for sterilization. We identify combinations of physical and orbital parameters for which radiative and tidal heating are strong enough to trigger a runaway greenhouse. By analogy with the circumstellar habitable zone, these constraints define a circumplanetary “habitable edge”. We apply our model to hypothetical moons around the recently discovered exoplanet Kepler-22b and the giant planet candidate KOI211.01 and describe, for the first time, the orbits of habitable exomoons.
    [Show full text]
  • JUICE Red Book
    ESA/SRE(2014)1 September 2014 JUICE JUpiter ICy moons Explorer Exploring the emergence of habitable worlds around gas giants Definition Study Report European Space Agency 1 This page left intentionally blank 2 Mission Description Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer Key science goals The emergence of habitable worlds around gas giants Characterise Ganymede, Europa and Callisto as planetary objects and potential habitats Explore the Jupiter system as an archetype for gas giants Payload Ten instruments Laser Altimeter Radio Science Experiment Ice Penetrating Radar Visible-Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging Spectrometer Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph Imaging System Magnetometer Particle Package Submillimetre Wave Instrument Radio and Plasma Wave Instrument Overall mission profile 06/2022 - Launch by Ariane-5 ECA + EVEE Cruise 01/2030 - Jupiter orbit insertion Jupiter tour Transfer to Callisto (11 months) Europa phase: 2 Europa and 3 Callisto flybys (1 month) Jupiter High Latitude Phase: 9 Callisto flybys (9 months) Transfer to Ganymede (11 months) 09/2032 – Ganymede orbit insertion Ganymede tour Elliptical and high altitude circular phases (5 months) Low altitude (500 km) circular orbit (4 months) 06/2033 – End of nominal mission Spacecraft 3-axis stabilised Power: solar panels: ~900 W HGA: ~3 m, body fixed X and Ka bands Downlink ≥ 1.4 Gbit/day High Δv capability (2700 m/s) Radiation tolerance: 50 krad at equipment level Dry mass: ~1800 kg Ground TM stations ESTRAC network Key mission drivers Radiation tolerance and technology Power budget and solar arrays challenges Mass budget Responsibilities ESA: manufacturing, launch, operations of the spacecraft and data archiving PI Teams: science payload provision, operations, and data analysis 3 Foreword The JUICE (JUpiter ICy moon Explorer) mission, selected by ESA in May 2012 to be the first large mission within the Cosmic Vision Program 2015–2025, will provide the most comprehensive exploration to date of the Jovian system in all its complexity, with particular emphasis on Ganymede as a planetary body and potential habitat.
    [Show full text]
  • An Impacting Descent Probe for Europa and the Other Galilean Moons of Jupiter
    An Impacting Descent Probe for Europa and the other Galilean Moons of Jupiter P. Wurz1,*, D. Lasi1, N. Thomas1, D. Piazza1, A. Galli1, M. Jutzi1, S. Barabash2, M. Wieser2, W. Magnes3, H. Lammer3, U. Auster4, L.I. Gurvits5,6, and W. Hajdas7 1) Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland, 2) Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Kiruna, Sweden, 3) Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, Austria, 4) Institut f. Geophysik u. Extraterrestrische Physik, Technische Universität, Braunschweig, Germany, 5) Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC, Dwingelo, The Netherlands, 6) Department of Astrodynamics and Space Missions, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands 7) Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland. *) Corresponding author, [email protected], Tel.: +41 31 631 44 26, FAX: +41 31 631 44 05 1 Abstract We present a study of an impacting descent probe that increases the science return of spacecraft orbiting or passing an atmosphere-less planetary bodies of the solar system, such as the Galilean moons of Jupiter. The descent probe is a carry-on small spacecraft (< 100 kg), to be deployed by the mother spacecraft, that brings itself onto a collisional trajectory with the targeted planetary body in a simple manner. A possible science payload includes instruments for surface imaging, characterisation of the neutral exosphere, and magnetic field and plasma measurement near the target body down to very low-altitudes (~1 km), during the probe’s fast (~km/s) descent to the surface until impact. The science goals and the concept of operation are discussed with particular reference to Europa, including options for flying through water plumes and after-impact retrieval of very-low altitude science data.
    [Show full text]
  • Projection of Meteosat Images Into World Geodetic System WGS-84 Matching Spot/Vegetation Grid
    Projection of Meteosat images into World Geodetic system WGS-84 matching Spot/Vegetation grid Bruno COMBAL, Josué NOEL EUR 23945 EN - 2009 The mission of the JRC-IES is to provide scientific-technical support to the European Union’s policies for the protection and sustainable development of the European and global environ- ment. European Commission Joint Research Centre Institute for Environment and Sustainability Contact information Address: Global Environment Monitoring Unit, Institute for Environment and Sustainability, Joint Research Centre, via E. Fermi, 2749, I-21027 Ispra (VA), Italy E-mail: [email protected] Tel.: +39 03 32 78 93 78 Fax: +39 03 32 78 90 73 http://ies.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ http://www.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ Legal Notice Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission is re- sponsible for the use which might be made of this publication. Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers to your questions about the European Union Freephone number (*): 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (*) Certain mobile telephone operators do not allow access to 00 800 numbers or these calls may be billed. A great deal of additional information on the European Union is available on the Internet. It can be accessed through the Europa server http://europa.eu/ JRC 52438 EUR 23945 EN ISBN 978-92-79-12953-7 ISSN 1018-5593 DOI 10.2788/2452 Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities © European Communities, 2009 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged Printed in Italy Table of contents 1 Introduction.........................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Solar System Cause Impact Craters
    ASTRONOMY 161 Introduction to Solar System Astronomy Class 12 Solar System Survey Monday, February 5 Key Concepts (1) The terrestrial planets are made primarily of rock and metal. (2) The Jovian planets are made primarily of hydrogen and helium. (3) Moons (a.k.a. satellites) orbit the planets; some moons are large. (4) Asteroids, meteoroids, comets, and Kuiper Belt objects orbit the Sun. (5) Collision between objects in the Solar System cause impact craters. Family portrait of the Solar System: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, (Eris, Ceres, Pluto): My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nine (Extra Cheese Pizzas). The Solar System: List of Ingredients Ingredient Percent of total mass Sun 99.8% Jupiter 0.1% other planets 0.05% everything else 0.05% The Sun dominates the Solar System Jupiter dominates the planets Object Mass Object Mass 1) Sun 330,000 2) Jupiter 320 10) Ganymede 0.025 3) Saturn 95 11) Titan 0.023 4) Neptune 17 12) Callisto 0.018 5) Uranus 15 13) Io 0.015 6) Earth 1.0 14) Moon 0.012 7) Venus 0.82 15) Europa 0.008 8) Mars 0.11 16) Triton 0.004 9) Mercury 0.055 17) Pluto 0.002 A few words about the Sun. The Sun is a large sphere of gas (mostly H, He – hydrogen and helium). The Sun shines because it is hot (T = 5,800 K). The Sun remains hot because it is powered by fusion of hydrogen to helium (H-bomb). (1) The terrestrial planets are made primarily of rock and metal.
    [Show full text]
  • Outer Planets Flagship Mission Studies
    OuterOuterOuter PlanetsPlanetsPlanets FlagshipFlagshipFlagship MissionMissionMission StudiesStudiesStudies Curt Niebur OPF Program Scientist NASA Headquarters Planetary Science Subcommittee June 23, 2008 Overview ¾ NASA is currently mid way through a six month long Phase II study of the remaining two candidate Outer Planet Flagship Missions ¾Europa Jupiter System Mission (EJSM) ¾Titan Saturn System Mission (TSSM) ¾ NASA plans to select a single Outer Planet Flagship mission to be pursued jointly with ESA and other international partners. ¾ The study plan includes a NASA only option in addition to the collaborative options. According to Phase II study ground rules the funding cap is $2.1B FY07 2 Outer Planet Flagship Mission Study Process Submitted 8/07 Downselected 12/07 Titan Saturn System Mission Downselect 11/08 Review 8-11/07 Started 2/08 Titan Saturn System Mission TMC and Phase II or Science Europa Study Europa Jupiter Panel Jupiter System Mission System Mission 3 NASA Phase II Study – Key Milestones • Joint SDT members selected…………………………………….Feb 1, 2008 • Study Kickoff……………………………………………………..Feb 9, 2008 • First Interim Review…………………………………………….April 9, 2008 • ESA Concurrent Design Facility Studies –kickoff…………….May 21, 2008 • Science Instrument Workshop………………………………….June 3-5, 2008 • Second Interim Review………………………………………….June 19-20, 2008 • ESA Concurrence Design Facility Studies – Outbrief…………July 27, 2008 • Phase II Initial Report…………………………………………..Aug 4, 2008 • Science and TMC Panels reviews ……………………………...Sep 9-11, 2008 – Europa Jupiter
    [Show full text]
  • Download Student Activities Objects from the Area Around Its Orbit, Called Its Orbital Zone; at Amnh.Org/Worlds-Beyond-Earth-Educators
    INSIDE Essential Questions Synopsis Missions Come Prepared Checklist Correlation to Standards Connections to Other Halls Glossary ONLINE Student Activities Additional Resources amnh.org/worlds-beyond-earth-educators EssentialEssential Questions Questions What is the solar system? In the 20th century, humans began leaving Earth. NASA’s Our solar system consists of our star—the Sun—and all the Apollo space program was the first to land humans on billions of objects that orbit it. These objects, which are bound another world, carrying 12 human astronauts to the Moon’s to the Sun by gravity, include the eight planets—Mercury, surface. Since then we’ve sent our proxies—robots—on Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune; missions near and far across our solar system. Flyby several dwarf planets, including Ceres and Pluto; hundreds missions allow limited glimpses; orbiters survey surfaces; of moons orbiting the planets and other bodies, including landers get a close-up understanding of their landing Jupiter’s four major moons and Saturn’s seven, and, of course, location; and rovers, like human explorers, set off across the Earth’s own moon, the Moon; thousands of comets; millions surface to see what they can find and analyze. of asteroids; and billions of icy objects beyond Neptune. The solar system is shaped like a gigantic disk with the Sun at The results of these explorations are often surprising. With its center. Everywhere we look throughout the universe we the Moon as our only reference, we expected other worlds see similar disk-shaped systems bound together by gravity. to be cold, dry, dead places, but exploration has revealed Examples include faraway galaxies, planetary systems astonishing variety in our solar system.
    [Show full text]
  • Io Observer SDT to Steer a Comprehensive Mission Concept Study for the Next Decadal Survey
    Io as a Target for Future Exploration Rosaly Lopes1, Alfred McEwen2, Catherine Elder1, Julie Rathbun3, Karl Mitchell1, William Smythe1, Laszlo Kestay4 1 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology 2 University of Arizona 3 Planetary Science Institute 4 US Geological Survey Io: the most volcanically active body is solar system • Best example of tidal heating in solar system; linchpin for understanding thermal evolution of Europa • Effects reach far beyond Io: material from Io feeds torus around Jupiter, implants material on Europa, causes aurorae on Jupiter • Analog for some exoplanets – some have been suggested to be volcanically active OPAG recommendation #8 (2016): OPAG urges NASA PSD to convene an Io Observer SDT to steer a comprehensive mission concept study for the next Decadal Survey • An Io Observer mission was listed in NF-3, Decadal Survey 2003, the NOSSE report (2008), Visions and Voyages Decadal Survey 2013 (for inclusion in the NF-5 AO) • Io Observer is a high OPAG priority for inclusion in the next Decadal Survey and a mission study is an important first step • This study should be conducted before next Decadal and NF-5 AO and should include: o recent advances in technology provided by Europa and Juno missions o advances in ground-based techniques for observing Io o new resources to study Io in future, including JWST, small sats, miniaturized instruments, JUICE Most recent study: Decadal Survey Io Observer (2010) (Turtle, Spencer, Khurana, Nimmo) • A mission to explore Io’s active volcanism and interior structure (including determining whether Io has a magma ocean) and implications for the tidal evolution of the Jupiter-Io-Europa- Ganymede system and ancient volcanic processes on the terrestrial planets.
    [Show full text]
  • Quantitive Analysis of Caldera Shapes on Earth, Mars, and Io
    52nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2021 (LPI Contrib. No. 2548) 2596.pdf QUANTITIVE ANALYSIS OF CALDERA SHAPES ON EARTH, MARS, AND IO. Rowan Huang1, Jani Radebaugh1, Eric H. Christiansen1,1Department of Geological Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602 ([email protected]). Introduction: Calderas are volcanic craters that calderas, and 10 ionian paterae [7]. This study expands typically form when overlying rock collapses into a these selections and reveals the effect of increasing the magma chamber voided by eruption [1,2]. Wood [3] sample size on classification, including 56 terrestrial defines three classes based on magma composition, calderas (18 ash flow, 19 basaltic shield, 19 eruption style, and tectonic setting: basaltic shield, ash stratocones), 16 martian basaltic shields, and 51 ionian flow, and stratocone. On Earth, Wood’s classifications paterae. ArcGIS Pro was used to map individual are straightforward, and it is relatively easy to classify a volcanic craters by tracing their topographic rims. volcano as such. However, on extraterrestrial bodies, in- Convex hulls and bounding rectangles were generated situ data is not available, so it is more difficult to classify for each crater along with area, perimeter, and these volcanic features based on composition and maximum feret diameter. eruption style. This is especially true of paterae on Jupiter’s moon Io, as they exhibit ambiguous magmatic associations, large sizes, and irregular shapes [4]. Given that the three terrestrial caldera groups can be classified based on morphological characteristics, shape could be used to inform the origins of other planetary volcanic craters. These classifications could then predict composition and eruption style for these craters, augmenting our understanding of the geologic history of planets.
    [Show full text]