Latest news with #HabitableWorldsObservatory
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Science
- Scottish Sun
Nasa's futuristic observatory could finally find ALIENS as it hunts for hidden habitable worlds, say experts
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) NASA is plotting a new mission that could be the one to finally uncover alien life in the universe. Or, it may uncover a darker fact: that we humans are completely alone, on the unique oasis we call Earth. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Planet K2-18b, which astronomers believe has water in its atmosphere, orbits within the habitable zone of a distant star Credit: ESA/UCL 6 Scientists will be looking for signs of oxygen, ozone and methane in a planet's atmosphere, as these are the chemicals that suggest there might be life on the surface Credit: NASA The ambitious project, slated to arrive sometime in the 2040s, will require technologies that are yet to be developed and demonstrated. Fortunately, plans for those technologies are underway as part of an international effort. The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) will be tasked with scouting out some of the nearly 6,000 exoplanets that have been discovered since the early 1990s. 'If we're going to find evidence of alien life beyond our solar system in our lifetime, the Habitable Worlds Observatory represents our best opportunity," Dr Caroline Harper, head of space science at the UK Space Agency, told The Sun. "This groundbreaking mission could finally answer one of humanity's most profound questions: are we alone in the universe?" Dr Shyam Balaji, a theoretical physicist at King's College London, said that finding a planet with a stable atmosphere and potential signs of life would be "a turning point". "It would reshape how we see our place in the cosmos, and even short of detecting life," he said. "Simply confirming that other habitable worlds exist would profoundly change our understanding of the universe and of our own planet's uniqueness." The HWO will look for chemical patterns - what scientists call biosignatures - around Earth-sized planets that lie within the habitable zones of nearby stars. Scientists will be looking for signs of oxygen, ozone and methane in a planet's atmosphere, as these are the chemicals that suggest there might be alien life on the surface. The relative abundance of these three molecules in Earth's atmosphere, for example, cannot be explained by any non-biological processes. Best-ever sign of ALIEN life found on distant planet as scientists '99.7% sure of astounding biological activity signal' "With the Habitable Worlds Observatory, we'll be able to examine their atmospheres directly, looking for chemical patterns like oxygen and methane coexisting that are difficult to explain without biology," Dr Balaji explained. "That wouldn't be absolute proof of life, but it would be the strongest evidence we've had yet." The HWO will not only try to find signs of life on distant worlds, but it will even take photos of them. It should be able to beam back pictures of planets human astronauts could only dream of laying their eyes on. While thousands of exoplanets have been detected, only a handful have been directly photographed. Instead, we often rely on painted impressions of distant worlds - where artists are guided by scientists as to what the data says a planet might look like. 6 An artist's impression of Kepler-186f, an Earth-size planet orbiting a distant star Credit: NASA Ames/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle Current plans indicate that HWO - a large spacecraft similar to Hubble or Webb space telescopes - should be able to image a planet that is 10billion times fainter than its host star. Scientists also believe that HWO will also be able to detect Earth-like moons of giant extrasolar planets, and spot eclipses of giant planets and their lunar satellites. Funding pressures are real. And such ambitious missions are always vulnerable to delays. Dr Shyam Balaji, a theoretical physicist at King's College London The idea for HWO was first pitched some 15 years ago, and has since snowballed into becoming "the first specifically engineered to identify habitable, Earth-like planets… and examine them for evidence of life," according to Nasa. By the time project jumps from paper into real-life, tangible tech, the HWO - or the core parts of the idea, at least - will be roughly 50 years old. That's if the mission survives President Donald Trump's proposed cuts to Nasa, in which the US space agency is forecast to lose nearly 20 per cent of its workforce. But experts are cautiously hopeful that HWO will make it off the ground. "Funding pressures are real," said Dr Balaji. "And such ambitious missions are always vulnerable to delays." "But the scientific case is compelling and public interest is high," he added. "So I think it has a good chance of moving forward even if the schedule slips." Deputy executive director of the Royal Astronomical Society, Dr Robert Massey, said: "I think the value of it is so big, that it's just a really exciting mission. "I don't want to sit there and say this should be funded over something else, because that's the thing we have to avoid doing. But if it goes ahead, it will be an incredibly exciting project." 6 This artists impression shows a view of the surface of the planet Proxima Centauri b Credit: Getty While Earth is the only planet known to host life, scientists estimate there could be hundreds of millions of potentially habitable worlds in our galaxy, the Milky Way. These worlds are very far away from Earth - with the closest potentially habitable world, Proxima Centauri b, located 4.2 light-years away. To spot these planets, even through the glare of their nearest star, HWO will need some next-generation instruments on board. Of the many instruments that HWO will have installed, it will need a tool to block out scattered light. "If you put your thumb up in front of the sun, you can sort of look around it. The problem you have is that we've got an atmosphere so all the sunlight scatters," Dr Massey explained. "But if you do that in space, block out the light of the star, there's no atmosphere. "If you get the size of that right, then you could see planets in orbit around that star - and actually study them and look for the chemistry of their atmosphere." 6 Of the many instruments that HWO will have installed, it will need a tool to block out scattered light Credit: NASA Like Hubble and Webb, HWO will have a large mirror to help with detecting and imaging distant worlds. The primary mirror will be at least six metres in diameter, so it needs to be segmented one way or another. No decisions have yet been made on the detailed design of either mirror, telescope or spacecraft. Whether we find life or not, the implications will be transformational - not just for space science, but for our understanding of humanity's place in the universe. Dr Caroline Harper, head of space science at the UK Space Agency Though HWO is expected to be pretty large - and will require a powerful rocket like Nasa's Space Launch System, SpaceX's Starship or Blue Origin's New Glenn to launch it into space. The European Space Agency (ESA) and UK Space Agency (UKSA) are interested in becoming partners in the project, just like they are on the Webb telescope. Speaking at Nasa's Habitable Worlds Observatory conference in Washington, DC, earlier this week, Dr Harper promoted the UK's ambition to lead an instrument on the mission. "The UK has developed exceptional expertise in exoplanet science and cutting-edge instrumentation," she said. "We now have the chance to build on these strengths and take part in what could be the most significant scientific discovery in human history. "Whether we find life or not, the implications will be transformational - not just for space science, but for our understanding of humanity's place in the universe.' 6 Rocky planet Earth-like planet, Proxima Centauri b Credit: Getty All you need to know about planets in our solar system Our solar system is made up of nine planets with Earth the third closest to the Sun. But each planet has its own quirks, so find out more about them all... How old is Earth? Plus other facts on our planet How many moons does Mercury have? What colour is Venus? How far away is Mars to Earth? And other facts on the red planet How big is Jupiter? How many moons does Saturn have? Does Uranus have rings? How many moons does Neptune have? How big is Pluto? How hot is the Sun?
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- Science
- The Irish Sun
Nasa's futuristic observatory could finally find ALIENS as it hunts for hidden habitable worlds, say experts
NASA is plotting a new mission that could be the one to finally uncover alien life in the universe. Or, it may uncover a darker fact: that we humans are completely alone, on the unique oasis we call Earth. Advertisement 6 Planet K2-18b, which astronomers believe has water in its atmosphere, orbits within the habitable zone of a distant star Credit: ESA/UCL 6 Scientists will be looking for signs of oxygen, ozone and methane in a planet's atmosphere, as these are the chemicals that suggest there might be life on the surface Credit: NASA The ambitious project, slated to arrive sometime in the 2040s, will require technologies that are yet to be developed and demonstrated. Fortunately, plans for those technologies are underway as part of an international effort. The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) will be tasked with scouting out some of the nearly 6,000 exoplanets that have been discovered since the early 1990s. 'If we're going to find evidence of alien life beyond our solar system in our lifetime, the Habitable Worlds Observatory represents our best opportunity," Dr Caroline Harper, head of space science at the UK Space Agency, told The Sun. Advertisement READ MORE ON SPACE SKY HIGH I lost my leg in tragic accident & now I'm set to make space history for Britain "This groundbreaking mission could finally answer one of humanity's most profound questions: are we alone in the universe?" Dr Shyam Balaji, a theoretical physicist at King's College London, said that finding a planet with a stable atmosphere and potential signs of life would be "a turning point". "It would reshape how we see our place in the cosmos, and even short of detecting life," he said. "Simply confirming that other habitable worlds exist would profoundly change our understanding of the universe and of our own planet's uniqueness." The HWO will look for chemical patterns - what scientists call biosignatures - around Earth-sized planets that lie within the habitable zones of nearby stars. Advertisement Scientists will be looking for signs of oxygen, ozone and methane in a planet's atmosphere, as these are the chemicals that suggest there might be alien life on the surface. The relative abundance of these three molecules in Earth's atmosphere, for example, cannot be explained by any non-biological processes. Best-ever sign of ALIEN life found on distant planet as scientists '99.7% sure of astounding biological activity signal' "With the Habitable Worlds Observatory, we'll be able to examine their atmospheres directly, looking for chemical patterns like oxygen and methane coexisting that are difficult to explain without biology," Dr Balaji explained. "That wouldn't be absolute proof of life, but it would be the strongest evidence we've had yet." Advertisement The HWO will not only try to find signs of life on distant worlds, but it will even take photos of them. It should be able to beam back pictures of planets human astronauts could only dream of laying their eyes on. While thousands of exoplanets have been detected, only a handful have been directly photographed. Instead, we often rely on painted impressions of distant worlds - where artists are guided by scientists as to what the data says a planet might look like. Advertisement 6 An artist's impression of Kepler-186f, an Earth-size planet orbiting a distant star Credit: NASA Ames/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle Current plans indicate that HWO - a large spacecraft similar to Hubble or Webb space telescopes - should be able to image a planet that is 10billion times fainter than its host star. Scientists also believe that HWO will also be able to detect Earth-like moons of giant extrasolar planets, and spot eclipses of giant planets and their lunar satellites. Funding pressures are real. And such ambitious missions are always vulnerable to delays. Dr Shyam Balaji, a theoretical physicist at King's College London The idea for HWO was first pitched some 15 years ago, and has since snowballed into becoming "the first specifically engineered to identify habitable, Earth-like planets… and examine them for evidence of life," according to Nasa. Advertisement By the time project jumps from paper into real-life, tangible tech, the HWO - or the core parts of the idea, at least - will be roughly 50 years old. That's if the mission survives President Donald Trump's proposed cuts to Nasa, in which the US space agency is forecast to lose nearly 20 per cent of its workforce. But experts are cautiously hopeful that HWO will make it off the ground. "Funding pressures are real," said Dr Balaji. "And such ambitious missions are always vulnerable to delays." Advertisement "But the scientific case is compelling and public interest is high," he added. "So I think it has a good chance of moving forward even if the schedule slips." Deputy executive director of the Royal Astronomical Society, Dr Robert Massey, said: "I think the value of it is so big, that it's just a really exciting mission. "I don't want to sit there and say this should be funded over something else, because that's the thing we have to avoid doing. But if it goes ahead, it will be an incredibly exciting project." Advertisement 6 This artists impression shows a view of the surface of the planet Proxima Centauri b Credit: Getty While Earth is the only planet known to host life, scientists estimate there could be hundreds of millions of potentially habitable worlds in our galaxy, the Milky Way. These worlds are very far away from Earth - with the closest potentially habitable world, Proxima Centauri b, located 4.2 light-years away. To spot these planets, even through the glare of their nearest star, HWO will need some next-generation instruments on board. Advertisement Of the many instruments that HWO will have installed, it will need a tool to block out scattered light. "If you put your thumb up in front of the sun, you can sort of look around it. The problem you have is that we've got an atmosphere so all the sunlight scatters," Dr Massey explained. "But if you do that in space, block out the light of the star, there's no atmosphere. "If you get the size of that right, then you could see planets in orbit around that star - and actually study them and look for the chemistry of their atmosphere." Advertisement 6 Of the many instruments that HWO will have installed, it will need a tool to block out scattered light Credit: NASA Like Hubble and Webb, HWO will have a large mirror to help with detecting and imaging distant worlds. The primary mirror will be at least six metres in diameter, so it needs to be segmented one way or another. No decisions have yet been made on the detailed design of either mirror, telescope or spacecraft. Advertisement Whether we find life or not, the implications will be transformational - not just for space science, but for our understanding of humanity's place in the universe. Dr Caroline Harper, head of space science at the UK Space Agency Though HWO is expected to be pretty large - and will require a powerful rocket like Nasa's Space Launch System, SpaceX's Starship or Blue Origin's New Glenn to launch it into space. The European Space Agency (ESA) and UK Space Agency (UKSA) are interested in becoming partners in the project, just like they are on the Webb telescope. Speaking at Nasa's Habitable Worlds Observatory conference in Washington, DC, earlier this week, Dr Harper promoted the UK's ambition to lead an instrument on the mission. "The UK has developed exceptional expertise in exoplanet science and cutting-edge instrumentation," she said. Advertisement "We now have the chance to build on these strengths and take part in what could be the most significant scientific discovery in human history. "Whether we find life or not, the implications will be transformational - not just for space science, but for our understanding of humanity's place in the universe.' 6 Rocky planet Earth-like planet, Proxima Centauri b Credit: Getty All you need to know about planets in our solar system Our solar system is made up of nine planets with Earth the third closest to the Sun. But each planet has its own quirks, so find out more about them all... How old is Earth? Plus other facts on our planet How many moons does Mercury have? What colour is Venus? How far away is Mars to Earth? And other facts on the red planet How big is Jupiter? How many moons does Saturn have? Does Uranus have rings? How many moons does Neptune have? How big is Pluto? How hot is the Sun?
The Sun
6 days ago
- Science
- The Sun
Nasa's futuristic observatory could finally find ALIENS as it hunts for hidden habitable worlds, say experts
NASA is plotting a new mission that could be the one to finally uncover alien life in the universe. Or, it may uncover a darker fact: that we humans are completely alone, on the unique oasis we call Earth. 6 The ambitious project, slated to arrive sometime in the 2040s, will require technologies that are yet to be developed and demonstrated. Fortunately, plans for those technologies are underway as part of an international effort. The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) will be tasked with scouting out some of the nearly 6,000 exoplanets that have been discovered since the early 1990s. 'If we're going to find evidence of alien life beyond our solar system in our lifetime, the Habitable Worlds Observatory represents our best opportunity," Dr Caroline Harper, head of space science at the UK Space Agency, told The Sun. "This groundbreaking mission could finally answer one of humanity's most profound questions: are we alone in the universe?" Dr Shyam Balaji, a theoretical physicist at King's College London, said that finding a planet with a stable atmosphere and potential signs of life would be "a turning point". "It would reshape how we see our place in the cosmos, and even short of detecting life," he said. "Simply confirming that other habitable worlds exist would profoundly change our understanding of the universe and of our own planet's uniqueness." The HWO will look for chemical patterns - what scientists call biosignatures - around Earth-sized planets that lie within the habitable zones of nearby stars. Scientists will be looking for signs of oxygen, ozone and methane in a planet's atmosphere, as these are the chemicals that suggest there might be alien life on the surface. The relative abundance of these three molecules in Earth's atmosphere, for example, cannot be explained by any non-biological processes. Best-ever sign of ALIEN life found on distant planet as scientists '99.7% sure of astounding biological activity signal' "With the Habitable Worlds Observatory, we'll be able to examine their atmospheres directly, looking for chemical patterns like oxygen and methane coexisting that are difficult to explain without biology," Dr Balaji explained. "That wouldn't be absolute proof of life, but it would be the strongest evidence we've had yet." The HWO will not only try to find signs of life on distant worlds, but it will even take photos of them. It should be able to beam back pictures of planets human astronauts could only dream of laying their eyes on. While thousands of exoplanets have been detected, only a handful have been directly photographed. Instead, we often rely on painted impressions of distant worlds - where artists are guided by scientists as to what the data says a planet might look like. 6 Current plans indicate that HWO - a large spacecraft similar to Hubble or Webb space telescopes - should be able to image a planet that is 10billion times fainter than its host star. Scientists also believe that HWO will also be able to detect Earth-like moons of giant extrasolar planets, and spot eclipses of giant planets and their lunar satellites. The idea for HWO was first pitched some 15 years ago, and has since snowballed into becoming "the first specifically engineered to identify habitable, Earth-like planets… and examine them for evidence of life," according to Nasa. By the time project jumps from paper into real-life, tangible tech, the HWO - or the core parts of the idea, at least - will be roughly 50 years old. That's if the mission survives President Donald Trump 's proposed cuts to Nasa, in which the US space agency is forecast to lose nearly 20 per cent of its workforce. But experts are cautiously hopeful that HWO will make it off the ground. "Funding pressures are real," said Dr Balaji. "And such ambitious missions are always vulnerable to delays." "But the scientific case is compelling and public interest is high," he added. "So I think it has a good chance of moving forward even if the schedule slips." Deputy executive director of the Royal Astronomical Society, Dr Robert Massey, said: "I think the value of it is so big, that it's just a really exciting mission. "I don't want to sit there and say this should be funded over something else, because that's the thing we have to avoid doing. But if it goes ahead, it will be an incredibly exciting project." 6 While Earth is the only planet known to host life, scientists estimate there could be hundreds of millions of potentially habitable worlds in our galaxy, the Milky Way. These worlds are very far away from Earth - with the closest potentially habitable world, Proxima Centauri b, located 4.2 light-years away. To spot these planets, even through the glare of their nearest star, HWO will need some next-generation instruments on board. Of the many instruments that HWO will have installed, it will need a tool to block out scattered light. "If you put your thumb up in front of the sun, you can sort of look around it. The problem you have is that we've got an atmosphere so all the sunlight scatters," Dr Massey explained. "But if you do that in space, block out the light of the star, there's no atmosphere. "If you get the size of that right, then you could see planets in orbit around that star - and actually study them and look for the chemistry of their atmosphere." 6 Like Hubble and Webb, HWO will have a large mirror to help with detecting and imaging distant worlds. The primary mirror will be at least six metres in diameter, so it needs to be segmented one way or another. No decisions have yet been made on the detailed design of either mirror, telescope or spacecraft. Whether we find life or not, the implications will be transformational - not just for space science, but for our understanding of humanity's place in the universe. Dr Caroline Harper, head of space science at the UK Space Agency Though HWO is expected to be pretty large - and will require a powerful rocket like Nasa's Space Launch System, SpaceX's Starship or Blue Origin's New Glenn to launch it into space. The European Space Agency (ESA) and UK Space Agency (UKSA) are interested in becoming partners in the project, just like they are on the Webb telescope. Speaking at Nasa's Habitable Worlds Observatory conference in Washington, DC, earlier this week, Dr Harper promoted the UK's ambition to lead an instrument on the mission. "The UK has developed exceptional expertise in exoplanet science and cutting-edge instrumentation," she said. "We now have the chance to build on these strengths and take part in what could be the most significant scientific discovery in human history. "Whether we find life or not, the implications will be transformational - not just for space science, but for our understanding of humanity's place in the universe.'
Sustainability Times
13-07-2025
- Science
- Sustainability Times
'These Alien Oceans Are the Ultimate Game-Changer': NASA's Habitable Worlds Observatory Poised to Expose Extraterrestrial Seas That Could Redefine All Life
IN A NUTSHELL 🌌 NASA's Habitable Worlds Observatory aims to detect oceans on exoplanets, enhancing the search for extraterrestrial life. aims to detect oceans on exoplanets, enhancing the search for extraterrestrial life. 🔍 The telescope will use specular reflection to identify water bodies by analyzing how light reflects off surfaces. to identify water bodies by analyzing how light reflects off surfaces. ☁️ Challenges include dealing with cloud cover and achieving precise measurements of exoplanet brightness. and achieving precise measurements of exoplanet brightness. 🪐 Discovering oceans on tidally locked planets may reveal stable climates, indicating potential habitability. In humanity's eternal quest to find life beyond Earth, we may finally have a telescope that can spot not just planets—but oceans. On Earth, water is inseparable from life. It shapes our landscapes, carves canyons, forms clouds, and pulses through every living cell. It is no surprise, then, that our search for life elsewhere in the universe has become, at its core, a search for water. But while we've found thousands of exoplanets orbiting distant stars—some even within the so-called 'Goldilocks zone' where temperatures might allow for liquid water—one critical detail has eluded us: proof. Are there truly oceans out there, shimmering beneath alien suns? NASA's proposed Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) may soon be able to answer that question. The Cosmic Mirror: How Liquid Water Reveals Itself When light strikes a surface, the way it reflects depends on what that surface is made of. Rough, solid surfaces scatter light in all directions—a diffuse reflection. But liquids, with their smooth, mirror-like texture, reflect light in a way called specular reflection. On Earth, this is why a body of water can look dark and flat from one angle, but shimmer like a mirror from another. When the Sun hits it just right, that glint is unmistakable. The Habitable Worlds Observatory is designed to capture this very phenomenon—not on Earth, but on exoplanets tens to hundreds of light-years away. If a distant world has oceans, they will reflect starlight in a distinctive, directional pattern. By watching how that light changes as the planet rotates or orbits its star, the HWO could piece together not only that liquid water is present—but where it pools on the surface. 'Planets with large bodies of water on their surface will have more temperate and stable climates,' Cowan and his co-authors write. 'Such planets are the ideal places for life-as-we-know-it to arise and evolve.' 'Earth's Core Is Acting Up': NASA Links Planet-Wide Disturbance to Mysterious Energy Surge Emerging From Deep Within the Mantle Mapping Oceans on Spinning Worlds The beauty of the method lies in time—specifically, how a planet's brightness changes over time as it spins and moves through different phases of illumination. On a rotating planet like Earth, different features come into view with each turn. Oceans, continents, cloud systems—they all reflect light differently. The HWO will perform something akin to time-lapse photography from space, measuring how the reflectance of a planet varies over hours, days, even seasons. When a watery surface turns toward the right angle, it reflects light with a brilliance not seen in rocky terrain. That glint, carefully teased from the surrounding noise, could reveal a surface ocean. These changes aren't just visible in brightness—they show up in polarization as well. At crescent phases, when a planet is backlit by its star, water-rich surfaces tend to polarize light in unique, detectable ways. In other words, oceans don't just shine—they whisper their presence through the alignment of light waves. Detecting it requires not just powerful optics, but stability and patience. The HWO will need to record high-precision, time-resolved measurements over long periods. 'Space Needs Nuclear Now': This New Global Race to Harness Atomic Power Beyond Earth Is Accelerating Faster Than Expected The Challenge of Clouds and Shadows Earth has taught us much, but it's also revealed the complications. Our own atmosphere is often cloaked in cloud cover—so thick, in fact, that any attempt to map our oceans from a light-year away would be muddled by ever-changing clouds. Exoplanets, too, will likely have clouds—and those clouds will obscure parts of the surface, alter the reflected light, and complicate the story the data tells. The HWO's team knows this and is building models to work around it. Cloud-free regions can still reveal surface features, and by observing over time, the telescope may be able to average out the impact of variable weather systems. Instrumental precision will be key. The authors emphasize that for rotational mapping to work, the telescope must be stable over the timescale of a planet's rotation—likely somewhere between 10 to 100 hours. That kind of stability is achievable, but photometric precision—measuring tiny changes in brightness—remains the telescope's biggest challenge. Four or more separate measurements per planetary rotation will likely be needed. 'NASA Sounds the Alarm': Sudden Planet-Wide Disturbance Linked to Mysterious Subterranean Energy Surge Now Spreading Without Warning Tidally Locked Worlds: Oceans in Eternal Daylight Many potentially habitable exoplanets orbit red dwarf stars, and many of those planets are tidally locked—meaning one side always faces the star in unending daylight, while the other remains in perpetual night. That's not a death sentence for habitability. If the planet has a thick atmosphere or large oceans, heat could circulate efficiently. For tidally locked worlds, specular reflection might actually be easier to detect. Since the surface features never rotate out of view, any reflection from oceans would remain fixed relative to the planet's orbit. Over time, this stability could help astronomers isolate the signal from noise. By observing how the brightness and polarization of reflected light change as the planet orbits its star, the HWO could identify oceans even on these strange, unmoving worlds. A mirror that never turns still shines, if you know when to look. Discovering an ocean on an exoplanet would be more than just a scientific achievement—it would be a revelation. It would prove that conditions for life exist beyond Earth in a tangible, observable way. It would mean that somewhere, under a star not so different from our own, waves might be lapping at a rocky shore. NASA's Habitable Worlds Observatory is still in the proposal stage. It has not yet been approved, funded, or built. But its vision is clear. If launched, it would not be alone. Europe's Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) will soon begin observations from the ground, and other proposed missions—like the Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE)—may complement the HWO's efforts. In the end, the question is no longer if we'll find water among the stars. It's when. Could this discovery change our understanding of life in the universe? This article is based on verified sources and supported by editorial technologies. Did you like it? 4.6/5 (20)
Economic Times
03-06-2025
- General
- Economic Times
Is Europa, Jupiter's ocean moon, the final haven for life once the sun dies? Here's what a recent study shows
In approximately 4.5 billion years, as the sun transforms into a red giant and engulfs Earth, Jupiter's moon Europa may offer a temporary refuge. Research suggests Europa's icy shell will sublimate, potentially creating a fleeting water vapor atmosphere lasting up to 200 million years. This could provide a brief window for habitable conditions and detectable biosignatures. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads How does the red giant sun affect Europa? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Can Europa's oceans survive the heat? What are the chances of finding life or biosignatures? FAQs The most intriguing question is what will happen to life in our solar system after the sun sun will become a red giant and wipe out Earth in roughly 4.5 billion years. The cold moons of the outer solar system may provide humanity a fleeting chance to survive, while new science offers us a glimpse of a distant, dying future. Europa , one of Jupiter's moons, might serve as a temporary safe at Cornell University's Carl Sagan Institute reached this conclusion and published their findings in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical sun will reach the end of its life cycle in roughly 4.5 billion years. Its hydrogen fusion core will grow, inflating the star's outer atmosphere to enormous proportions. It will enlarge and turn into a red giant star, burning up Earth and swallowing up Venus and Mercury, as per a report by the sun enters this new stage of life, the habitable zone, the region where the radiation influx is just right to support liquid water on a planet's surface, will gradually move Jupiter remains an inhospitable giant ball of gas, some of its moons could potentially lead to a habitable the ice-covered moon of Jupiter, will receive a lot of heat. Jupiter will become hotter and reflect more sunlight, which will give the small moon its own source of heat besides the giant sun's scientists discovered that the oceans below will evaporate while the icy outer shell sublimates. Because it will receive the most heat, the side of Europa facing Jupiter will experience the most sublimation, as per a report by the anti-Jupiter side of Europa, the rate of water loss will be slower in the northern and southern latitudes. According to the researchers, this might produce a thin layer of water vapor that lasts for 200 million years or researchers discovered that biosignatures may be detectable on icy moons of red giant stars. Although there are a number of promising candidates, we have not yet detected any exomoons with resolving power to investigate these moons' atmospheric features may come from future observations using the James Webb Space Telescope or the proposed Habitable Worlds Observatory. Even though the likelihood of finding life is narrow, it does expand the range of potential places for our search because there might still be refuges around almost-dead but only for a short time up to 200 million years in isolated areas where water loss is underground oceans and temporary water vapor atmosphere may provide brief habitable conditions.
