Chemicals found on Saturn’s moon Titan might show evidence of prebiotic conditions in the satellite, according to a new study from scientists at Cornell University in New York. Data was obtained from NASA’s Cassini and Huygens missions.
Titan is the only moon in the Solar System that is surrounded by a dense atmosphere, composed of nitrogen and methane. Titan resembles Earth in various aspects since both have lakes, rivers, and seas. However, the latter is filled with liquid methane and ethane.
Researchers found that the impact of sun rays over Titan’s toxic atmosphere produces a possible prebiotic chemical called hydrogen cyanide. Lead author of the study Marin Rahm said a major factor in the new investigation is searching for prebiotic compounds different than Earth’s.
Detailed results of the new study were published on July 4 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Rahm, who is also a postdoctoral researcher in chemistry, said the paper is a starting point for finding further evidence in Titan.
“If future observations could show there is prebiotic chemistry in a place like Titan, it would be a major breakthrough. This paper is indicating that prerequisites for processes leading to a different kind of life could exist on Titan, but this only the first step,” said Rahm in a press release.
Here is a video by the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, featuring Titan’s structure:
Study details and other theories: “Titan is a completely different beast”
Rahm said biological evidence of early planetary life might be completely different in Titan than in Earth. He said researchers are usually looking for Earth-like conditions, although “Titan is a completely different beast.”
Researchers explained that both Titan and Earth hold flowing liquids. However, the average temperatures in the Saturn’s satellite are minus 290 degrees Fahrenheit, while it does not contain liquid water.
Hydrogen cyanide is capable of reacting to form a polymer called polyimide, said Cornell University in a press release issued Wednesday. The same substance “helps mobility under very cold conditions.”
— Chemistry World (@ChemistryWorld) July 8, 2016
Hydrogen cyanide may also play a significant role in absorbing energy from the sun. As a result, it might be a catalyst for life, the study suggested. Further investigation could confirm there is prebiotic chemistry on Saturn’s largest moon.
“Polyimine can exist as different structures, and they may be able to accomplish remarkable things at low temperatures, especially under Titan’s conditions. We need to continue to examine this, to understand how the chemistry evolves over time. We see this as a preparation for further exploration,” added Rahm.
Jonathan Lunine, a scientist at Cornell University, told the Monitor that exploring and understanding Titan is crucial for answering how Earth originated. Rahm said scientists need to imagine processes in Titan without the presence of water.
— eclipse2017 (@eclipse2017) July 8, 2016
Cassini probe in Saturn has only one year and 68 days before disappearing
Since 2004, Cassini has been in orbit around the second-largest planet in the Solar System. Earlier in April, the probe samples of interstellar dust, as part of its journey to investigate Saturn. The dust might be coming from a place different than the Solar System.
On November 30, 2016, Cassini will approach Saturn’s F rings. The spacecraft “will be crushed and vaporized” in September 2017, as a consequence of pressure levels and temperatures in Saturn. NASA said the probe would obtain valuable information before it vanishes.
Saturn's moon Titan has such a dense atmosphere and such a low gravity that if you strapped wings to your hands you could easily fly
— Cool Space Facts (@CoolSpaceFacts) July 4, 2016
By late 2017, Cassini will have elaborated a detailed map of Saturn’s gravity and magnetic fields. It will also send information about icy ring particles and “ultra-close” photographs of the planet’s rings and clouds.
This information would help scientists to understand the planet’s interior composition. NASA is currently planning a robotic mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa. The latter may contain necessary chemical conditions for life, under a subsurface ocean.
NASA is expecting to send in 2020 a “highly-capable, radiation-tolerant” spacecraft into orbit around Europa. Astronomers are interested in analyzing the composition of the moon’s surface. Scientists have always wondered whether the Jupiter’s moon has prebiotic material.
Could Saturn's moon Titan support alien life?: While scientists see Jupiter’s moon Europa and Saturn’s moon… pic.twitter.com/vs1MQ9Lpq3
— Jaaky Evancho (@JaakyEvancho) July 7, 2016
Related News: “NASA to discuss cargo aboard the next SpaceX flight to the ISS”
Nasa will host a conference on Wednesday, July 13, to provide information about experiments and material that will travel to the International Space Station (ISS), aboard the next SpaceX commercial flight.
Researchers are planning to send tests related to DNA sequencing to space. They will also study bone loss and heart rates under microgravity conditions. Researchers will also present the “first international docking adapter headed to station.”
The next SpaceX commercial flight to the ISS is scheduled to take place on Monday, July 19. The company created by Elon Musk will send a Dragon capsule on a Falcon 9 rocket, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, said NASA in a press release.
— ISS Research (@ISS_Research) July 8, 2016
Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences