Life on Titan could have huge implications for life in the cosmos
Titan's surface temperature is 94 degrees Kelvin above absolute zero. It's about a third of that of Earth. It is interesting to note that 94 degrees above absolute zero corresponds to the temperature of the cosmic microwave background, a few hundred million years after the big bang.
There are a few places in the solar system other than Earth where life could have originated. It's not necessarily about intelligent life. If there is life elsewhere in the solar system, it is probably in the form of bacteria or simple life. Outside our world, life could have thrived on Mars. Some scientists believe life may have originated on Mars billions of years earlier than on Earth. But besides worlds like the Red Planet, life could have originated on distant moons like Enceladus, Europa, and Titan. The latter is the largest moon that revolves around the planet of the rings, Saturn. And if there is life on Titan in any form, it could have huge implications for life elsewhere in the universe.
life on titan
Annotated view of the Titan sighting by James Webb. Image credit: SCIENCE: NASA, ESA, CSA, Webb Titan GTO team. IMAGE PROCESSING: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
Professor Avi Loeb revealed in an essay that the surface temperature of Titan is 94 degrees Kelvin above absolute zero. That's about a third of that of our world. It is interesting to note that 94 degrees above absolute zero corresponds to the temperature of the cosmic microwave background, a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. Astronomers believe this is when some of the first generations of stars were born. And if there is life on Titan, which we may soon discover, it may help astronomers test the possibility that life appeared in the universe billions of years ago, when some of the first stars and some of the first worlds formed.
Titan, a unique world
Titan is a unique world in our solar system. Besides Earth, this Saturnian moon is the only celestial object to have rivers, lakes and oceans on and below its surface. Its cycle is similar to that of water on Earth, which means that it also rains on Titan. However, unlike Earth, it rains methane and ethane on Titan. Curiously, Titan's atmosphere somewhat resembles that of Earth. It consists mainly of nitrogen, but also contains 5% methane. The Cassini space probe has spent years studying Saturn and its moons. Gravity measurements of Titan have revealed that this moon harbors a subterranean ocean of liquid water. This ocean is fixed with salts and ammonia.
Implications of life on Titan
Whether there is life on Titan remains to be seen, and future space missions will likely find out. But if there is life on Titan, it would have huge implications. Not only because we would finally have the answer to the question of whether we are alone in the universe, but also because it would mean that life could have been born billions of years ago, and that the cosmos is full of life since the formation of the very first stars, some 100 million years after the Big Bang. Indeed, the first stars formed and distant Titan-like bodies may have formed, harboring the same features as Titan, our solar system.
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