DOCSLIB.ORG

Search for Life on the Moons of Saturn

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Search for Life on the Moons of Saturn Search for Life on the Moons of Saturn Leonie Schunk Mikko Pöntinen Planetary exploration, Autumn 2017 University of Helsinki Lecturer: Tomas Kohout Course assistant: Juulia-Gabrielle Moreau Search for life on the moons of Saturn Table of Contents 1. Introduction 3 2. Parameters for a habitable environment 5 3. Life conditions on the moons 7 Enceladus 9 Dione 9 Titan 10 4. Evaluation of geological maps of the moons 11 Maps of Enceladus 11 Map of Dione 12 Maps of Titan 13 Map of Mimas 14 Map of Tethys 14 Map of Rhea 15 Map of Iapetus 15 5. Detecting life 16 6. Prospects of a successful mission to different moons 20 7. Mission options and instrumentation 21 8. Preliminary mission plan 23 9. Conclusions 24 References 25 2 1. Introduction In 1997 a spacecraft, including a probe from NASA (this was a flagship project from NASA) and a lander from ESA, was launched to study Saturn and its system. This Cassini-Huygens mission was the first one to enter its orbit and only the fourth one that was sent to visit the planet. It spent 13 years orbiting Saturn, after a transit which took around seven years with four gravity assists on Earth, Venus and Jupiter, and a flyby of asteroid 2685 Masursky. The mission ended in September 2017, when Cassini burned up in Saturn’s atmosphere. The Huygens lander was able to land on Saturn’s biggest moon Titan on January 14th 2005 with a parachute, which was very unique since it was the first time a landing on a moon other than our own was successful. The Cassini probe’s mission was extended several times and it also managed to fly through the rings of Saturn. The Cassini-Huygens mission was the only mission which focused on Saturn. Since Saturn has 62 moons, from which only 53 have names and 13 have a diameter larger than 50 km, there are still a lot of open questions. The major moons, from largest to smallest, are Titan, Rhea, Iapetus, Dione, Tethys, Enceladus and Mimas. All of them have an ellipsoidal shape but only Titan and Rhea are at hydrostatic equilibrium and the six moons besides Titan only constitute to 4% of the mass in orbit around the planet. Most of what we know about the Saturnian system is from this single mission. Several of the Saturnian moons are known or suspected of having subsurface liquid water oceans. On Earth, everywhere there is water, there is life. One of the most important questions in astrobiology is whether that is the case elsewhere in the universe too. Since there is not enough information, especially no returned samples from the Saturnian system, our mission proposal will focus on searching for evidence of possible life on the icy moons, and in order to do that, collect more information about the system in general. During the course of the space mission, we will investigate some of the most interesting objects and evaluate the chance of finding certain indications of water-based life. The Cassini-Huygens mission was not equipped to find evidence for biosignatures or complex organic compounds. In order to plan the mission, stats and facts about the moons have to be collected. The biggest moon Titan is the second largest one besides Jupiter's moon Ganymede and larger than the smallest planet Mercury. It has a radius of 2575 km, it orbits 1,200,000 km above Saturn (~20 Saturn radii) and is the only moon with a dense atmosphere as well as the only object with stable bodies of surface liquid besides Earth. Another moon is Enceladus, a relatively small one with a radius of 250 km, orbiting 240,000 km above Saturn (~4 Saturn radii). It is only 1/10 the radius of Titan and the sixth largest moon of Saturn. Enceladus is mostly covered by fresh, clean ice which makes it one of the most reflective bodies in our solar system. It has a subsurface water ocean. 3 Dione is the fourth largest moon of Saturn, with a 561 km radius and orbiting 377,400 km above Saturn (6 Saturn radii) which is roughly the same distance from Earth to its moon. ⅔ of its mass is water ice and the rest is the dense core, probably silicate rock. Dione’s average surface temperature is -186°C, so the ice on the surface behaves like a rock, same as on the other icy moons. Dione also likely has a water ocean beneath the icy surface. Mimas only has a radius of 198 km which makes it the smallest of the seven major moons, orbiting above Saturn the closest out of the moons, with 186,000 km and because of its small size it is not able to hold a perfectly round shape. The moon has a low density, which suggests that the moon only consists mostly of water ice. Its most distinguishing surface feature is a giant impact crater. Rhea i​s the second-largest of Saturn's moons. The distance to Saturn is 5​27,040 km and Rhea has a radius of 764 km. The average surface temperature is -174°C. The moon has a typical heavily cratered surface and, similar to Dione, a wispy terrain on one of the hemispheres and two large impact basins. Rhea’s composition, its albedo and surface structure in general is similar to that of Dione which probably means they went through the same phases of development. Iapetus is Saturn’s third-largest moon with a radius of 736 km and it orbits the furthest away from the massive planet at a mean distance of 3,561,000 km. The larger distance could explain why the moon has not been affected as much by melting processes like the moons closer to Saturn. Its unique due its high dark and light contrast in the albedo. Tethys, with a radius of 533 km, is similar to Rhea and Dione except for its surface features, since it does not nearly have as many impact craters as the other two moons. It is Saturn’s fifth-largest moon and is supposed to consist mainly of water ice and a small part of silicate rock because of its low density and high albedo. Figure 1: The Saturnian system. The major moons are shown, except for Titan and Iapetus, which fall outside the image. 4 2. Parameters for a habitable environment In order for known forms of life to exist, certain conditions need to be met. The most important restricting parameters are shown in Table 1, which focuses on requirements of known microbes. Temperature has to be within a certain range, namely between around -20 and +122°C. Microbes can be in hibernation in lower temperatures, but a temperature higher than -18°C is needed for active metabolism and reproduction. Larger multicellular organisms, which can regulate their body temperature, can survive in even lower external temperatures. Since pH, pressure and salinity have a high survivable range for simple organisms, they are not as limiting factors as temperature and energy. More concerning is the radiation issue, especially UV radiation, and if a planet or moon does not have an atmosphere, said radiation can get relatively high on the surface and requires special adaption from possible life forms. Known life needs so called CHNOPS-elements, in other words carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulphur. All known life forms also require liquid water, which is the main parameter to look for. Table 1: Most important parameters regarding the survival of microbial life. PARAMETER RANGE REMARK TEMPERATURE -20 - 122°​C​ Upper limit solubility of lipids in water/protein stability, Psychrophiles live up to -20 but can survive in a ‘dormant’ mode at much lower temperatures ~196°​C​ . [​C] pH From 0 to >11 Life known to survive at pH: (0) Cyanidium, Archaea - Natronobacterium, Protists (>11). [​A, D] ENERGY Chemical redox from: Geothermal flux can arise from Chemoautotrophic Life: (i​)​ the planet cooling off from - geothermal processes its gravitational heat of - M​ ethane ​required for formation, (i​i)​ decay of chemosynthesis long-lived radioactive Photoautotrophic Life: elements, or (i​ii)​ tidal heating - light from central star 0​.01 for a close-orbiting world or μmol m​-2⋅​ s​-1 ​minimum amount moon. for photosynthesis Both chemoautotrophic and - Carbon/Oxygen required for photoautotrophic photosynthesis microorganisms. obtain their energy and produce their nutrients from simple inorganic compounds such as carbon 5 dioxide. Chemoautotrophs do so through chemical reactions, while photoautotrophs use photosynthesis. [​B] PRESSURE Upper limit of 1680 MPa Earth’s surface pressure 0.1 MPa - N.B. temperature is ~2 GPa likely to be a limitation before the pressure (for liquid water). [A] UV RADIATION Up to 5,000 J​/​m​2 Significant ultraviolet radiation if no atmosphere. [​A] IONIZING RADIATION Upper limit of ~6000 Grays Microorganisms capable of An exoplanet does not require a withstanding very high levels magnetic field to be habitable of radiation. [​A] LIQUID H2O (SURFACE) Liquid H2​​O should be present Life could exist on a planet but some halophilic organisms with ‘supercritical’ carbon live in high (4-5 Mol) NaCl dioxide i.e. existing as a gas and a liquid. [​A, C] NITROGEN Aerobic microorganisms In the reducing conditions of (C​ HNOPS)​ require a minimum of 1–5 × the outer Solar System N is -3 ​​ 10​ atmospheres N2​​ for present as ammonia which is fixation. also biologically usable. [​B, C] C,H,N,O,P,S Must be present, to form The 6 most abundant elements: biomolecules as we know them Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, - essential for transfer of Oxygen, Phosphorus and energy from cells for Sulphur are the 6 most metabolism etc.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 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]
  • Cassini Update
    Cassini Update Dr. Linda Spilker Cassini Project Scientist Outer Planets Assessment Group 22 February 2017 Sols%ce Mission Inclina%on Profile equator Saturn wrt Inclination 22 February 2017 LJS-3 Year 3 Key Flybys Since Aug. 2016 OPAG T124 – Titan flyby (1584 km) • November 13, 2016 • LAST Radio Science flyby • One of only two (cf. T106) ideal bistatic observations capturing Titan’s Northern Seas • First and only bistatic observation of Punga Mare • Western Kraken Mare not explored by RSS before T125 – Titan flyby (3158 km) • November 29, 2016 • LAST Optical Remote Sensing targeted flyby • VIMS high-resolution map of the North Pole looking for variations at and around the seas and lakes. • CIRS last opportunity for vertical profile determination of gases (e.g. water, aerosols) • UVIS limb viewing opportunity at the highest spatial resolution available outside of occultations 22 February 2017 4 Interior of Hexagon Turning “Less Blue” • Bluish to golden haze results from increased production of photochemical hazes as north pole approaches summer solstice. • Hexagon acts as a barrier that prevents haze particles outside hexagon from migrating inward. • 5 Refracting Atmosphere Saturn's• 22unlit February rings appear 2017 to bend as they pass behind the planet’s darkened limb due• 6 to refraction by Saturn's upper atmosphere. (Resolution 5 km/pixel) Dione Harbors A Subsurface Ocean Researchers at the Royal Observatory of Belgium reanalyzed Cassini RSS gravity data• 7 of Dione and predict a crust 100 km thick with a global ocean 10’s of km deep. Titan’s Summer Clouds Pose a Mystery Why would clouds on Titan be visible in VIMS images, but not in ISS images? ISS ISS VIMS High, thin cirrus clouds that are optically thicker than Titan’s atmospheric haze at longer VIMS wavelengths,• 22 February but optically 2017 thinner than the haze at shorter ISS wavelengths, could be• 8 detected by VIMS while simultaneously lost in the haze to ISS.
    [Show full text]
  • A Wunda-Full World? Carbon Dioxide Ice Deposits on Umbriel and Other Uranian Moons
    Icarus 290 (2017) 1–13 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Icarus journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/icarus A Wunda-full world? Carbon dioxide ice deposits on Umbriel and other Uranian moons ∗ Michael M. Sori , Jonathan Bapst, Ali M. Bramson, Shane Byrne, Margaret E. Landis Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t Article history: Carbon dioxide has been detected on the trailing hemispheres of several Uranian satellites, but the exact Received 22 June 2016 nature and distribution of the molecules remain unknown. One such satellite, Umbriel, has a prominent Revised 28 January 2017 high albedo annulus-shaped feature within the 131-km-diameter impact crater Wunda. We hypothesize Accepted 28 February 2017 that this feature is a solid deposit of CO ice. We combine thermal and ballistic transport modeling to Available online 2 March 2017 2 study the evolution of CO 2 molecules on the surface of Umbriel, a high-obliquity ( ∼98 °) body. Consid- ering processes such as sublimation and Jeans escape, we find that CO 2 ice migrates to low latitudes on geologically short (100s–1000 s of years) timescales. Crater morphology and location create a local cold trap inside Wunda, and the slopes of crater walls and a central peak explain the deposit’s annular shape. The high albedo and thermal inertia of CO 2 ice relative to regolith allows deposits 15-m-thick or greater to be stable over the age of the solar system.
    [Show full text]
  • Copyrighted Material
    Index Abulfeda crater chain (Moon), 97 Aphrodite Terra (Venus), 142, 143, 144, 145, 146 Acheron Fossae (Mars), 165 Apohele asteroids, 353–354 Achilles asteroids, 351 Apollinaris Patera (Mars), 168 achondrite meteorites, 360 Apollo asteroids, 346, 353, 354, 361, 371 Acidalia Planitia (Mars), 164 Apollo program, 86, 96, 97, 101, 102, 108–109, 110, 361 Adams, John Couch, 298 Apollo 8, 96 Adonis, 371 Apollo 11, 94, 110 Adrastea, 238, 241 Apollo 12, 96, 110 Aegaeon, 263 Apollo 14, 93, 110 Africa, 63, 73, 143 Apollo 15, 100, 103, 104, 110 Akatsuki spacecraft (see Venus Climate Orbiter) Apollo 16, 59, 96, 102, 103, 110 Akna Montes (Venus), 142 Apollo 17, 95, 99, 100, 102, 103, 110 Alabama, 62 Apollodorus crater (Mercury), 127 Alba Patera (Mars), 167 Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), 110 Aldrin, Edwin (Buzz), 94 Apophis, 354, 355 Alexandria, 69 Appalachian mountains (Earth), 74, 270 Alfvén, Hannes, 35 Aqua, 56 Alfvén waves, 35–36, 43, 49 Arabia Terra (Mars), 177, 191, 200 Algeria, 358 arachnoids (see Venus) ALH 84001, 201, 204–205 Archimedes crater (Moon), 93, 106 Allan Hills, 109, 201 Arctic, 62, 67, 84, 186, 229 Allende meteorite, 359, 360 Arden Corona (Miranda), 291 Allen Telescope Array, 409 Arecibo Observatory, 114, 144, 341, 379, 380, 408, 409 Alpha Regio (Venus), 144, 148, 149 Ares Vallis (Mars), 179, 180, 199 Alphonsus crater (Moon), 99, 102 Argentina, 408 Alps (Moon), 93 Argyre Basin (Mars), 161, 162, 163, 166, 186 Amalthea, 236–237, 238, 239, 241 Ariadaeus Rille (Moon), 100, 102 Amazonis Planitia (Mars), 161 COPYRIGHTED
    [Show full text]
  • A Deeper Look at the Colors of the Saturnian Irregular Satellites Arxiv
    A deeper look at the colors of the Saturnian irregular satellites Tommy Grav Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, MS51, 60 Garden St., Cambridge, MA02138 and Instiute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Dr., Honolulu, HI86822 [email protected] James Bauer Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology 4800 Oak Grove Dr., MS183-501, Pasadena, CA91109 [email protected] September 13, 2018 arXiv:astro-ph/0611590v2 8 Mar 2007 Manuscript: 36 pages, with 11 figures and 5 tables. 1 Proposed running head: Colors of Saturnian irregular satellites Corresponding author: Tommy Grav MS51, 60 Garden St. Cambridge, MA02138 USA Phone: (617) 384-7689 Fax: (617) 495-7093 Email: [email protected] 2 Abstract We have performed broadband color photometry of the twelve brightest irregular satellites of Saturn with the goal of understanding their surface composition, as well as their physical relationship. We find that the satellites have a wide variety of different surface colors, from the negative spectral slopes of the two retrograde satellites S IX Phoebe (S0 = −2:5 ± 0:4) and S XXV Mundilfari (S0 = −5:0 ± 1:9) to the fairly red slope of S XXII Ijiraq (S0 = 19:5 ± 0:9). We further find that there exist a correlation between dynamical families and spectral slope, with the prograde clusters, the Gallic and Inuit, showing tight clustering in colors among most of their members. The retrograde objects are dynamically and physically more dispersed, but some internal structure is apparent. Keywords: Irregular satellites; Photometry, Satellites, Surfaces; Saturn, Satellites. 3 1 Introduction The satellites of Saturn can be divided into two distinct groups, the regular and irregular, based on their orbital characteristics.
    [Show full text]
  • Moons Phases and Tides
    Moon’s Phases and Tides Moon Phases Half of the Moon is always lit up by the sun. As the Moon orbits the Earth, we see different parts of the lighted area. From Earth, the lit portion we see of the moon waxes (grows) and wanes (shrinks). The revolution of the Moon around the Earth makes the Moon look as if it is changing shape in the sky The Moon passes through four major shapes during a cycle that repeats itself every 29.5 days. The phases always follow one another in the same order: New moon Waxing Crescent First quarter Waxing Gibbous Full moon Waning Gibbous Third (last) Quarter Waning Crescent • IF LIT FROM THE RIGHT, IT IS WAXING OR GROWING • IF DARKENING FROM THE RIGHT, IT IS WANING (SHRINKING) Tides • The Moon's gravitational pull on the Earth cause the seas and oceans to rise and fall in an endless cycle of low and high tides. • Much of the Earth's shoreline life depends on the tides. – Crabs, starfish, mussels, barnacles, etc. – Tides caused by the Moon • The Earth's tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon. • The Earth bulges slightly both toward and away from the Moon. -As the Earth rotates daily, the bulges move across the Earth. • The moon pulls strongly on the water on the side of Earth closest to the moon, causing the water to bulge. • It also pulls less strongly on Earth and on the water on the far side of Earth, which results in tides. What causes tides? • Tides are the rise and fall of ocean water.
    [Show full text]
  • Astrometric Reduction of Cassini ISS Images of the Saturnian Satellites Mimas and Enceladus? R
    A&A 551, A129 (2013) Astronomy DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201220831 & c ESO 2013 Astrophysics Astrometric reduction of Cassini ISS images of the Saturnian satellites Mimas and Enceladus? R. Tajeddine1;3, N. J. Cooper1;2, V. Lainey1, S. Charnoz3, and C. D. Murray2 1 IMCCE, Observatoire de Paris, UMR 8028 du CNRS, UPMC, Université de Lille 1, 77 av. Denfert-Rochereau, 75014 Paris, France e-mail: [email protected] 2 Astronomy Unit, School of Physics and Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK 3 Laboratoire AIM, UMR 7158, Université Paris Diderot – CEA IRFU – CNRS, Centre de l’Orme les Merisiers, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France Received 2 December 2012 / Accepted 6 February 2013 ABSTRACT Aims. We provide astrometric observations of two of Saturn’s main satellites, Mimas and Enceladus, using high resolution Cassini ISS Narrow Angle Camera images. Methods. We developed a simplified astrometric reduction model for Cassini ISS images as an alternative to the one proposed by the Jet Propulsion Labratory (JPL). The particular advantage of the new model is that it is easily invertible, with only marginal loss in accuracy. We also describe our new limb detection and fitting technique. Results. We provide a total of 1790 Cassini-centred astrometric observations of Mimas and Enceladus, in right ascension (α) and declination (δ) in the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF). Mean residuals compared to JPL ephemerides SAT317 and SAT351 of about one kilometre for Mimas and few hundreds of metres for Enceladus were obtained, in α cos δ and δ, with a standard deviation of a few kilometres for both satellites.
    [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]
  • Stardust Comet Flyby
    NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION Stardust Comet Flyby Press Kit January 2004 Contacts Don Savage Policy/Program Management 202/358-1727 NASA Headquarters, Washington DC Agle Stardust Mission 818/393-9011 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Vince Stricherz Science Investigation 206/543-2580 University of Washington, Seattle, WA Contents General Release ……………………………………......………….......................…...…… 3 Media Services Information ……………………….................…………….................……. 5 Quick Facts …………………………………………..................………....…........…....….. 6 Why Stardust?..................…………………………..................………….....………......... 7 Other Comet Missions ....................................................................................... 10 NASA's Discovery Program ............................................................................... 12 Mission Overview …………………………………….................……….....……........…… 15 Spacecraft ………………………………………………..................…..……........……… 25 Science Objectives …………………………………..................……………...…........….. 34 Program/Project Management …………………………...................…..…..………...... 37 1 2 GENERAL RELEASE: NASA COMET HUNTER CLOSING ON QUARRY Having trekked 3.2 billion kilometers (2 billion miles) across cold, radiation-charged and interstellar-dust-swept space in just under five years, NASA's Stardust spacecraft is closing in on the main target of its mission -- a comet flyby. "As the saying goes, 'We are good to go,'" said project manager Tom Duxbury at NASA's Jet
    [Show full text]
  • Privacy Policy
    Privacy Policy Culmia Privacy Policy Culmia Desarrollos Inmobiliarios, S.L.U. (hereinafter, “the manager”), with headquarters in Madrid, Calle Génova, 27, Company Tax No. B-67186999, is an integral manager of property assets and a member of a Property Group to which it provides its services. The manager provides its services to the following property developers who are members of its Group: Company Company Company Company Tax Tax No. No. Saturn Holdco S.A.U. A88554100 Antea Activos Inmobiliarios B88554324 S.L.U. Thrym Activos Inmobiliarios S.L.U. B88554142 Redes Promotora 1 Ma, B88093117 S.L.U. Erriap Activos Inmobiliarios S.L.U. B88554159 Redes Promotora 2 Ma, B88093174 S.L.U. Daphne Activos Inmobiliarios S.L.U. B88554167 Redes Promotora 3 Ma, B88093265 S.L.U. Dione Activos Inmobiliarios S.L.U. B88554183 Redes Promotora 4 Ma, B88093356 S.L.U. Fornjot Activos Inmobiliarios S.L.U. B88554191 Redes Promotora 5 Ma, B88093471 S.L.U. Greip Activos Inmobiliarios S.L.U. B88554217 Redes Promotora 6 Ma, B88145073 S.L.U. Hiperion Activos Inmobiliarios B88554233 Redes Promotora 7 Ma, B88145123 S.L.U. S.L.U. Loge Activos Inmobiliarios S.L.U. B88554241 Redes Promotora 8 Ma, B88145263 S.L.U. Kiviuq Activos Inmobiliarios S.L.U. B88554258 Redes Promotora 9, S.L.U. B88159728 Narvi Activos Inmobiliarios S.L.U. B88554266 Redes 2 2018 Iberica 2 B88160221 S.L.U. Polux Activos Inmobiliarios S.L.U. B88554282 Redes 2 2018 Iberica 3 B88160239 S.L.U. Siarnaq Activos Inmobiliarios S.L.U. B88554290 Redes 2 Promotora B88160247 Inversiones 2018 IV S.L.U.
    [Show full text]
  • The Subsurface Habitability of Small, Icy Exomoons J
    A&A 636, A50 (2020) Astronomy https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201937035 & © ESO 2020 Astrophysics The subsurface habitability of small, icy exomoons J. N. K. Y. Tjoa1,?, M. Mueller1,2,3, and F. F. S. van der Tak1,2 1 Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, Landleven 12, 9747 AD Groningen, The Netherlands e-mail: [email protected] 2 SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, Landleven 12, 9747 AD Groningen, The Netherlands 3 Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Niels Bohrweg 2, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands Received 1 November 2019 / Accepted 8 March 2020 ABSTRACT Context. Assuming our Solar System as typical, exomoons may outnumber exoplanets. If their habitability fraction is similar, they would thus constitute the largest portion of habitable real estate in the Universe. Icy moons in our Solar System, such as Europa and Enceladus, have already been shown to possess liquid water, a prerequisite for life on Earth. Aims. We intend to investigate under what thermal and orbital circumstances small, icy moons may sustain subsurface oceans and thus be “subsurface habitable”. We pay specific attention to tidal heating, which may keep a moon liquid far beyond the conservative habitable zone. Methods. We made use of a phenomenological approach to tidal heating. We computed the orbit averaged flux from both stellar and planetary (both thermal and reflected stellar) illumination. We then calculated subsurface temperatures depending on illumination and thermal conduction to the surface through the ice shell and an insulating layer of regolith. We adopted a conduction only model, ignoring volcanism and ice shell convection as an outlet for internal heat.
    [Show full text]
  • Dwarf Planet Ceres
    Dwarf Planet Ceres drishtiias.com/printpdf/dwarf-planet-ceres Why in News As per the data collected by NASA’s Dawn spacecraft, dwarf planet Ceres reportedly has salty water underground. Dawn (2007-18) was a mission to the two most massive bodies in the main asteroid belt - Vesta and Ceres. Key Points 1/3 Latest Findings: The scientists have given Ceres the status of an “ocean world” as it has a big reservoir of salty water underneath its frigid surface. This has led to an increased interest of scientists that the dwarf planet was maybe habitable or has the potential to be. Ocean Worlds is a term for ‘Water in the Solar System and Beyond’. The salty water originated in a brine reservoir spread hundreds of miles and about 40 km beneath the surface of the Ceres. Further, there is an evidence that Ceres remains geologically active with cryovolcanism - volcanoes oozing icy material. Instead of molten rock, cryovolcanoes or salty-mud volcanoes release frigid, salty water sometimes mixed with mud. Subsurface Oceans on other Celestial Bodies: Jupiter’s moon Europa, Saturn’s moon Enceladus, Neptune’s moon Triton, and the dwarf planet Pluto. This provides scientists a means to understand the history of the solar system. Ceres: It is the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It was the first member of the asteroid belt to be discovered when Giuseppe Piazzi spotted it in 1801. It is the only dwarf planet located in the inner solar system (includes planets Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars). Scientists classified it as a dwarf planet in 2006.
    [Show full text]