21. Icy Moons 2 (do More) Flashcards
Evidence for habitability of Enceladus
Moon on Saturn, much smaller than earth. Water ice surface
Voyager 1 told us it has highly réfléchîtes surface with very few impact craters, voyager 2 found heavily cratered mid high northern l’attitude and lightly cratered équateur so young geologically active surface possible feeding e ring of Saturn
Tiger stripes at South Pole show young as diff composition from rest ,coarse I ce grains
How geysers on Enceladus formed?
Jets of water and gas erupt from South Pole of plant (gas and icy grains)
Why? Plumes might be material escaping through cracks from a salty ocean
How?
Tidal heating and hot rock pressurises liquid water picker so forces water Vapor and ice particles through vent to surface
Main features of titan and its atmosphere?
Saturns largest moon, only moon with substantial atmosphere and surface pressure larger than earth
Atmosphere is 98 percent N
Uv light from sun causes dense orange smog made of organic molecules
Experiments indicate atomosphere could produce amino acids
Very cold
Role of methane on titan?
Very cold surface
Greenhouse affect from 2 methane stops atmosphere freezing our
Astro biological significance of hydrocarbons on titan?
Lots of hydrocarbons on surface and atmosphere could feed biosphere in ocean
Earth and titan very similar with earth we water rivers and titans methane rivers
Only place other Than earths to have bodies of liquid on surface
Suggest these liquids may provide prebiotic chemistry for life evidence by Huygens missions which found pieces on surface (maybe looks at lecture)
Where else could there be liquid water?
Neptune’s largest moon triton, nitrogen atmosphere ,ice water surface , some methane , uv , experienced titan heating here captured
Pluto, evidence for active geology of methan and nitrogen
Large astroids? Salts and organics near surface , could have a sub surfaces liquid ocean?.
