Science Bulletin Nov/Dec. 2013 Nobel Prize Edition | Page 24

planets. While the distances of these planets are in light years, a much closer possibility of past life may still hold true.

Curiosity, a Mars rover, is searching for the remnants of life on early Mars. So far it has identified flowing streams of water! These may be dry now, but back when they did flow, life could have flourished. So far Curiosity has already accomplished the goal of proving that water was once on Mars. It is continuing its route to go to Mt. Sharp, a nearby mountain. Hopefully the rover will find evidence of past life.

Other possibilities of life in our solar system include the moon of Saturn, Titan. Titan has been explored very minimally, yet the Huygens Probe landed and explored the surface for a small time. The moon has all the right materials to one day harbor life except it lacks water vapor because all of its water is ice. Some scientists still think that Titan is a possible host for microbial life. Scientist Sarah Horst also reported finding amino acids, the building blocks for proteins, and the five nucleotide bases, the building blocks for DNA and RNA. While life now on the moon may be not as likely, in a few billion years the sun will be much larger and therefore will make life very likely by melting the ice.

The universe is a very big place. It is almost 100% likely to be infinite. Therefore the chances for other life are almost guaranteed. A greater question is will we ever get to meet these aliens? In our day and age the answer is no, but in the times of our great, great, great grandchildren it could be a possibility. So next time you hear on the news reports of aliens, there is no need to worry.

possible host for microbial life. Scientist Sarah Horst also reported finding amino acids, the building blocks for proteins, and the five nucleotide bases, the building blocks for DNA and RNA. While life now on the moon may be not as likely, in a few billion years the sun will be much larger and therefore will make life very likely by melting the ice.

The universe is a very big place. It is almost 100% likely to be infinite. Therefore the chances for other life are almost guaranteed. A greater question is will we ever get to meet these aliens? In our day and age the answer is no, but in the times of our great, great, great grandchildren it could be a possibility. So next time you hear reports of aliens on the news, there is no need to worry.

Habitable Zone- the area a planet has to be to harbor life. The zone varies from star to star based on how hot it is and its size. This is a diagram of one of the many solar systems Kepler has found.

NASA

NASA

This is the surface of Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. This is also only picture ever taken from the surface of an object farther than Mars. One day this may hold life just like Earth.