If there is life on Europa, we probably will not have to dig deep to find it – BGR

Exoplanets orbiting distant stars could be our best chance to find advanced and complex life forms, but there are still some places in our own solar system where life could still hide, we have to just find it. The moon of Jupiter Europa is one of these places, and although we have had great glimpses of its surface, there is a good reason why we have not seen any signs of life: 19659002] Europa is a massive world water covered by a layer of ice crust. This ice hides what scientists believe to be a vast ocean, and this ocean may very well have something alive. A new study published in Nature Astronomy explains how we can proceed to the detection of this life, and this actually seems a little easier than you think.

The article focuses on what we had to dig into the ice cover of the moon in order to collect samples that could provide evidence of life in the water below. The ice, of course, is made of the same water that lies underneath, and if there is life in this water, the ice presumably contains frozen biological material that a spaceship could test.

However, scientists believe that the spatial radiation and atmosphere of Jupiter is probably wreaking havoc on any biological material on the surface. This is bad news, as it could bring down this material over time, which would make it essentially useless for researchers.

It's a pity, but the researchers say finding usable samples will always be easy enough. According to the document, a lander will not have to dig very deeply to find a clean sample that has not been tainted by radiation.

"Radiation treatment and destruction of potential biosignatures are significant to depths of ~ 1 cm in mid-to-high latitude regions, and at depths of 10-20 cm. inside the "radiation lenses" centered on the front and back hemispheres, "explain the scientists." These results indicate that future missions on the surface of Europe do not need to dig deep-sea materials. to study the composition of endogenous materials and look for potential biosignatures. "

In simple terms, radiation should only be a problem – the surface, and perhaps as deep as 8 inches in some areas. lander or a rover capable of drilling into the planet (similar to NASA Mars Curiosity drone in the red planet rocks) should not have any problem to retrieve useful samples and proves the existence of life in the ocean.