Introduction
The question of whether we are alone or not in the Universe has been plaguing the humanity for a very long time. While it is statistically probable that sentient lifeforms exist in other systems billions of light-years away from Earth, the lack of inhabitable planets similar to Earth within our near vicinity suggests that the first extraterrestrial forms of life encountered in space would likely be simple bacteria. The presence of these lifeforms in the harshest conditions on Earth suggests that the existence of similar microorganisms on planets within our Solar system is possible (Fendrihan 148). The purpose of this paper is to advocate for launching an expedition to Titan, as it is one of the most likely candidate planets to contain life.
Potential Locations to Explore
Titan is the largest moon of Saturn and is considered to be a world rich with organic chemicals and carbon-bearing material. Its atmosphere consists of nitrogen, methane, and hydrogen (McKay 2). The moon possesses stable bodies of surface liquid and water ice. The existence of underwater oceans is speculated. The surface of Titan is extremely cold, with the average temperature of minus 290 degrees Fahrenheit (McKay 3). There is the potential of methane-based life being present on the surface of Titan. Life can exist underneath the moon’s surface as well, where it would be shielded from the blistering cold, inhabiting its vast underground oceans. One of the prime locations for exploration would be around Sotra Patera, which is suspected to be a cryovolcano covered in frozen water and ammonia (Dohm and Maruyama 97). Exploring the volcano would not only enable the expedition to discover any signs of life on the moon’s surface but also find evidence of life located underground by studying the volcano’s releases.
Possible Evidence of Life
As it was already mentioned, the harsh extremities of life on Titan make the possibility of the existence of any complex organisms on its surface to be highly unlikely (McKay 6). As such, the primary evidence of life would come from microscopic analysis of samples obtained in the vicinity of Sotra Patera (Dohm and Maruyama 97). The evidence of methane-based organisms could be found from testing the ground and the bodies of liquid surrounding the cryovolcano, whereas the evidence of water-based life would likely be found in the frozen remains of the volcano’s releases. The resistance of certain types of bacteria to extreme elements suggests that whatever evidence we find might still be alive (Fendrihan 148).
Arguments for Choosing Titan
Out of all of the moons and planets that exist in the Solar System, Titan has the optimal conditions for the existence of life. It possesses an atmosphere, a rich palette of organic chemical elements, stable bodies of liquid that could potentially act as a solvent, and it has water present on its surface (McKay 2). In addition, the moon is shielded from Sun’s radiation, giving additional protection for any lifeforms that may be inhabiting it. The conditions on Titan suggest the existence of not only water-based lifeforms similar to those on earth but also the existence of methane-based lifeforms, whose cells would be immune to the harmful effects of extreme temperatures on the moon’s surface. In addition, the existence of oil and gas reserves makes Titan an interesting choice from a geological perspective.
Conclusion
Sending a mission to Titan would not only increase our chances of finding extraterrestrial life but also enrich our knowledge of evolution and biology, should the expedition discover methane-based or water-based lifeforms. While planets such as Mars are easier to study and investigate, the chances of finding valuable evidence on Titan are much higher due to the list of factors mentioned earlier in this paper. Thus, exploring the largest moon of Saturn should become NASA’s top priority.
Works Cited
Dohm, James, and Shigenori Maruyama. “Habitable Trinity.” Geoscience Frontiers, vol. 6, no. 1, 2015, pp. 95-101.
Fendrihan, Sergiu. “The Extremely Halophilic Microorganisms, a Possible Model for Life on Other Planets.” Current Trends in Natural Sciences, vol. 6, no. 12, 2017, pp. 147-151.
McKay, Christopher. “Titan as the Abode of Life.” Life, vol. 6, no. 1, 2016, pp. 1-15.