Exploring the Ocean Worlds of Our Solar System

Exploring the Ocean Worlds of Our Solar System
Author: Bernard Henin
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 311
Release: 2018-08-03
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3319934767

In the last 25 years, planetary science experienced a revolution, as vast oceans of liquid water have been discovered within the heart of the icy moons of our Solar System. These subsurface oceans lie hidden under thick layers of ice. We call them ocean worlds. Some of these icy moons, such as Ganymede, may hold two to three times more liquid water than all the water present on Earth, while others, such as Enceladus and Europa, are thought by astrobiologists to be our best hope of finding extraterrestrial life. In this book, we will explore and compare a variety of Solar System ocean worlds, meeting in the process 22 of the most intriguing objects, from the giant asteroid Ceres to the enigmatic, distant Sedna. In doing so, we will also encounter the multiple spacecraft that brought back most of what we know of these worlds (Pioneers, Voyagers, Cassini-Huygens, etc.), as well as the latest scientific research on this new topic. We will also entertain the possibility of life on each of these ocean worlds by assessing their habitability, as ultimately, these ocean worlds might hold the key to answering the fundamental questions in life: How did life appear? Where do we come from? Is there life out there? With the contributions of leading planetary scientists from NASA, ESA, and other institutions, this book aims to be the go-to reference for anyone wanting to know more about this fascinating topic.

Water Worlds in the Solar System

Water Worlds in the Solar System
Author: Antony Joseph
Publisher: Elsevier
Total Pages: 846
Release: 2022-11-25
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0323957188

Water Worlds in the Solar System: In Search of Habitable Environments and Life is a comprehensive reference on the formation, availability, habitability potential, and astrobiological implications of water in the Solar System. The book provides understanding of the importance of water on Earth to elucidate potential water and biosignature sources on other bodies in the Solar System. It covers processes involved in the formation of Earth and its Moon, genesis of water on those bodies, events on early Earth, and other processes that are applicable to celestial bodies in the Solar System, directly correlating data available on water on other bodies to over 15 Earth analogue sites. This book forms a comprehensive overview on water in the Solar System, from formation to biosignature and habitability considerations. It is ideal for academics, researchers and students working in the field of planetary science, extraterrestrial water research and habitability potential. - Presents a comprehensive reference on water in the Solar System, developing readers' understanding of the importance and occurrence of water on Earth and beyond, all from an oceanographer's perspective - Contrasts terrestrial analogues in relation to their roles in understanding and exploring ocean worlds and habitability - Includes numerous figures, illustrations, tables and videos to help readers better understand concepts covered

Alien Oceans

Alien Oceans
Author: Kevin Hand
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 296
Release: 2021-09-21
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0691227284

Inside the epic quest to find life on the water-rich moons at the outer reaches of the solar system Where is the best place to find life beyond Earth? We often look to Mars as the most promising site in our solar system, but recent scientific missions have revealed that some of the most habitable real estate may actually lie farther away. Beneath the frozen crusts of several of the small, ice-covered moons of Jupiter and Saturn lurk vast oceans that may have existed for as long as Earth, and together may contain more than fifty times its total volume of liquid water. Could there be organisms living in their depths? Alien Oceans reveals the science behind the thrilling quest to find out. Kevin Peter Hand is one of today's leading NASA scientists, and his pioneering research has taken him on expeditions around the world. In this captivating account of scientific discovery, he brings together insights from planetary science, biology, and the adventures of scientists like himself to explain how we know that oceans exist within moons of the outer solar system, like Europa, Titan, and Enceladus. He shows how the exploration of Earth's oceans is informing our understanding of the potential habitability of these icy moons, and draws lessons from what we have learned about the origins of life on our own planet to consider how life could arise on these distant worlds. Alien Oceans describes what lies ahead in our search for life in our solar system and beyond, setting the stage for the transformative discoveries that may await us.

Ocean Worlds

Ocean Worlds
Author: J. A. Zalasiewicz
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 315
Release: 2014
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0199672881

In this book, geologists Jan Zalasiewicz and Mark Williams consider the deep history of oceans, how and when they may have formed on the young Earth - topics of intense current research - how they became salty, and how they evolved through Earth history.

Exoplanets

Exoplanets
Author: Karen Latchana Kenney
Publisher: Twenty-First Century Books (Tm)
Total Pages: 92
Release: 2017
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1512400866

Learn about the planets that exist outside of our solar system, and the actions scientists are taking to learn more about them. --

Solar System Planets and Exoplanets

Solar System Planets and Exoplanets
Author: Joseph Bevelacqua
Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand
Total Pages: 236
Release: 2021-07-07
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1839693126

Solar System Planets and Exoplanets provides a current viewpoint of planetary systems. The solar system’s planets and exoplanets are addressed in an overview manner, and specific space probe data are used to provide a current state of knowledge of Venus and Mars. Recent Mars data and associated observations are addressed in several chapters. Of particular interest are data that suggest the possibility that life could have existed on the planet’s surface during its past when Mars’ atmosphere was wetter and denser. The search for life on Mars is one of the main objectives of space missions, and it is an ongoing theme of this book. Key to the existence of life is the evolution of the radiation output of the Sun that is discussed and projected into the future. Space probe data related to the Asteroid Belt is also presented. Technological advances in terms of operating aircraft on Mars and propulsion systems provide useful commentary regarding future innovations that will enhance upcoming space missions and the search for life.

Cosmic Biology

Cosmic Biology
Author: Louis Neal Irwin
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 353
Release: 2010-12-08
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1441916474

In Cosmic Biology, Louis Irwin and Dirk Schulze-Makuch guide readers through the range of planetary habitats found in our Solar System and those likely to be found throughout the universe. Based on our current knowledge of chemistry, energy, and evolutionary tendencies, the authors envision a variety of possible life forms. These range from the familiar species found on Earth to increasingly exotic examples possible under the different conditions of other planets and their satellites. Discussions of the great variety of life forms that could evolve in these diverse environments have become particularly relevant in recent years with the discovery of around 300 exoplanets in orbit around other stars and the possibilities for the existence of life in these planetary systems. The book also posits a taxonomic classification of the various forms of life that might be found, including speculation on the relative abundance of different forms and the generic fate of living systems. The fate and future of life on Earth will also be considered. The closing passages address the Fermi Paradox, and conclude with philosophical reflections on the possible place of Homo sapiens in the potentially vast stream of life across the galaxies.

Exoplanets

Exoplanets
Author: Michael E. Summers
Publisher: Smithsonian Institution
Total Pages: 225
Release: 2017-03-14
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1588345955

The past few years have seen an incredible explosion in our knowledge of the universe. Since its 2009 launch, the Kepler satellite has discovered more than two thousand exoplanets, or planets outside our solar system. More exoplanets are being discovered all the time, and even more remarkable than the sheer number of exoplanets is their variety. In Exoplanets, astronomer Michael Summers and physicist James Trefil explore these remarkable recent discoveries: planets revolving around pulsars, planets made of diamond, planets that are mostly water, and numerous rogue planets wandering through the emptiness of space. This captivating book reveals the latest discoveries and argues that the incredible richness and complexity we are finding necessitates a change in our questions and mental paradigms. In short, we have to change how we think about the universe and our place in it, because it is stranger and more interesting than we could have imagined.

Enceladus and the Icy Moons of Saturn

Enceladus and the Icy Moons of Saturn
Author: Paul M. Schenk
Publisher: University of Arizona Press
Total Pages: 535
Release: 2018-11-27
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0816537070

With active geysers coating its surface with dazzlingly bright ice crystals, Saturn’s large moon Enceladus is one of the most enigmatic worlds in our solar system. Underlying this activity are numerous further discoveries by the Cassini spacecraft, tantalizing us with evidence that Enceladus harbors a subsurface ocean of liquid water. Enceladus is thus newly realized as a forefront candidate among potentially habitable ocean worlds in our own solar system, although it is only one of a family of icy moons orbiting the giant ringed planet, each with its own story. As a new volume in the Space Science Series, Enceladus and the Icy Moons of Saturn brings together nearly eighty of the world’s top experts writing more than twenty chapters to set the foundation for what we currently understand, while building the framework for the highest-priority questions to be addressed through ongoing spacecraft exploration. Topics include the physics and processes driving the geologic and geophysical phenomena of icy worlds, including, but not limited to, ring-moon interactions, interior melting due to tidal heating, ejection and reaccretion of vapor and particulates, ice tectonics, and cryovolcanism. By contextualizing each topic within the profusion of puzzles beckoning from among Saturn’s many dozen moons, Enceladus and the Icy Moons of Saturn synthesizes planetary processes on a broad scale to inform and propel both seasoned researchers and students toward achieving new advances in the coming decade and beyond.