The Search for Life in the Cosmos
The Search for Life in the Cosmos
Are we alone? For generations, humans have asked this question as they looked to the stars for answers. Never have we been so close to finding an answer, as we are today. In the field of Astrobiology, the search for extraterrestrial life is the top priority, and scientists are going to great lengths to find it, studying life here on Earth to better understand how it might arise in the universe, then scouring the cosmos for any hint of a potentially habitable environment. So what is life? What does life need to survive, and if it does exist outside of our home planet, where might we find it? All of these questions, we will attempt to answer through the research of the most brilliant minds in astronomy and biology.
According to Professor Stephen Hawking, “[life is] an ordered system that can sustain and reproduce itself… Living being[s] usually have two elements: genes and metabolism.” (Hawking) From what we have learned about life on Earth, living beings require water to live, and are made of several types of atoms built on chains of carbon. It seems possible that life could potentially be built on a different chemical foundation, but carbon and water appear to be key to the arrival of life. Accordingly, in the great search for E.T., water and carbon are what astrobiologists look for when determining if a planet or moon are habitable. (Randall)
Astronomers talk about the small habitable zone of planets around their star, or the “Goldilocks zone”, because it’s not too hot, and not too cold, but just right to support life. But the truth is, life is extremely resilient, and needs little more than a little liquid water, the most basic of resources to not only survive, but to thrive! In recent years, there have been organisms found that live in habitats we never imagined: a microscopic animal that lives completely without oxygen, bacterium that live in the frozen lakes of the arctic, and most interestingly, the tube worms that
Are we alone? For generations, humans have asked this question as they looked to the stars for answers. Never have we been so close to finding an answer, as we are today. In the field of Astrobiology, the search for extraterrestrial life is the top priority, and scientists are going to great lengths to find it, studying life here on Earth to better understand how it might arise in the universe, then scouring the cosmos for any hint of a potentially habitable environment. So what is life? What does life need to survive, and if it does exist outside of our home planet, where might we find it? All of these questions, we will attempt to answer through the research of the most brilliant minds in astronomy and biology.
According to Professor Stephen Hawking, “[life is] an ordered system that can sustain and reproduce itself… Living being[s] usually have two elements: genes and metabolism.” (Hawking) From what we have learned about life on Earth, living beings require water to live, and are made of several types of atoms built on chains of carbon. It seems possible that life could potentially be built on a different chemical foundation, but carbon and water appear to be key to the arrival of life. Accordingly, in the great search for E.T., water and carbon are what astrobiologists look for when determining if a planet or moon are habitable. (Randall)
Astronomers talk about the small habitable zone of planets around their star, or the “Goldilocks zone”, because it’s not too hot, and not too cold, but just right to support life. But the truth is, life is extremely resilient, and needs little more than a little liquid water, the most basic of resources to not only survive, but to thrive! In recent years, there have been organisms found that live in habitats we never imagined: a microscopic animal that lives completely without oxygen, bacterium that live in the frozen lakes of the arctic, and most interestingly, the tube worms that
Cited: Hawking, Stephen. "Life in the Universe." Hawking.org. Hawking.org, n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. Korte, Travis. "Robot Submarine To Europa Could Find Aquatic Life On Jupiter 's Icy Moon." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 25 Mar. 2012. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. McKie, Robin. "Enceladus: Home of Alien Lifeforms?" The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 28 July 2012. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. Palmer, Roxanne. "No Methane, No Life On Mars? Curiosity Breathes Deep." International Business Times. International Business Times, 12 Nov. 2012. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. "Planet Ocean - Learning Adventures." Planet Ocean - Learning Adventures. DiscoveryEducation.com, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2012. "Titan, Saturn 's Largest Moon, Facts and Discovery." Space.com. Space.com, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. Waugh, Rob. " 'It 's 99% Certain There Is Life on Mars ': Shock Finding as Scientists Re-analyse Soil Samples from Seventies Viking Lander." Mail Online. Mail Online, 13 Apr. 2012. Web. 12 Nov. 2012.