NASA employee: we have found a place in the solar system where, with a probability of 99%, there is life

The search for life in space is one of the leading trends in astronomy. Despite the mass nature of the UFO phenomenon and a huge number of eyewitness accounts, academics refuse to believe in the existence of alien civilizations. However, this does not mean at all that science does not allow the existence of life in space.

On the contrary, in recent years, astronomers have made amazing discoveries of tens of thousands of potential exoplanets where life, including biological life, can exist. Perhaps, somewhere far, far away, in the backyards of the Universe, another humanity is developing in parallel with our civilization.

But it must be said that despite the non-stop technological progress, these discoveries have only a theoretical context. In practice, alas, we cannot fly and, as they say, see, touch and carefully study the presence of amino acids and primitive life forms in different parts of the Universe.

50 thousand exoplanets located in the belts of life have been discovered, so what? We will never visit these planets. At least not in the coming centuries. Therefore, if you look for life in space, then within the solar system. Theoretical lunatics, Martians and Venusians still remain a theory. But recently, NASA officials came out with a surprising statement:

“A place in the solar system has been discovered where there is a 99% probability of life.”

This is Saturn’s moon Enceladus. Its structure and the approximate composition of water allowed scientists to simulate the conditions of existence and introduce the so-called “formula of life” into them. This is a program that calculates the probability of producing amino acids and compounds that could potentially evolve into more complex life forms. The computer gave the answer: there is a 99% chance.

The fact is that under a 5-kilometer layer of ice there is a real salty liquid ocean and a 65-kilometer layer of water. Moreover, it is very similar to the earth in its chemical composition, almost identical with the Earth’s ocean hundreds of millions of years ago. 

This ocean is incredibly huge and when exploring Saturn’s moon, gas emissions and several geysers were found erupting from the depths of the ocean.

With the help of spectrometric data, a wide variety of organic compounds have been identified. The chains are small, but under the conditions that prevail in the liquid part of the ocean on Enceladus, chemical transformations will inevitably lead to the formation of amino acids and more complex structures. 

Thus, either on the moon of Saturn there are conditions for the origin of life, or it has already originated. NASA is developing an amphibious apparatus, the purpose of which will be to drill ice and dive into the subglacial part of the ocean. The launch of the ship was planned for 2036.

In the end, it is worth noting another important discovery related to Enceladus. There is little volcanic and seismic activity on the satellite but even such indicators are enough for the water temperature to warm up to quite terrestrial values ​​during an underwater volcanic eruption. 

In this case, the appearance of life on the satellite of Saturn does not look like some kind of wild fantasy scenario..