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Dr. Nürburg
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Nevernevercreech
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msidoh
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 Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:49 am Post subject: |
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| Thanks, Dr. Nürburg, that's very interesting! |
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Fullmoon
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| Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2012 12:45 pm Post subject: |
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Even if Mercury does not have the right conditions for proliferation living organisms,the discovery is extremely important!
For explain the birth of life on Earth,it was hypothesized a similar mechanism: transported molecules from celestial bodies and finding a fertile environment,would evolve, then, in the higher forms that we know!
really interesting  thanks Dr.Nurburg |
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garyoak99
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| Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2012 1:16 pm Post subject: Re: Water Ice Found On... Mercury! |
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| Dr. Nürburg wrote: | They have indeed! Check it out...
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I like the amount of ice that they discovered too:
| Quote: | | The amount of ice is astounding—something on the order of 100 billion to a trillion metric tons. Or, as David Lawrence of the MESSENGER Mercury mission team says, the rough equivalent of layering Washington, D.C. with 2 to 2.5 miles of ice. |
Imagine all the thirsty people that could satisfy! 
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Dr. Nürburg
Writer & Musician
Nevernevercreech
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| Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2012 4:58 pm Post subject: |
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Indeed, at this rate there could be more planets in our solar system that harbour water than there are that don't.
So far:
Earth
Moon
Mercury
Mars
Phobos
Europa
It is quite possible also that other moons like Europa, which suffer internal friction from their big brother's gravitational pull, could also harbour water.
So take your pick.
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Last edited by Dr. Nürburg on Sun Mar 31, 2013 2:03 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Dr. Nürburg
Writer & Musician
Nevernevercreech
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| Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 2:02 am Post subject: |
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 In fact I was surprised to find out that there is actually another planet in our solar system that probably has water - I mean like an actual planet near our own planet Earth.
It is the Dwarf Planet Ceres.
Recently upgraded from a very large asteroid, Ceres resides between Mars & Jupiter - that's actually surprisingly closer (at least for me) than expected for another planet.
Just take one look at it! Look like anything?
Apparently it even has a thin whispy atmosphere of probable water vapour, (probably creating the bluey mist in the image), it has both a rocky and icy surface, and a surface temperature of about -38 °C.
Scientists also believe that it may have a liquid ocean beneath its surface, heated by thermal vents, although this is not known for certain.
Primitive life at least can survive and even thrive at these temperatures - an adapted alien polar bear with cavernous dwellings may too... so in an alternative evolutionary environment... who knows what lives here.
Microbial life has been found to not only breath but rebuild itself out of arsenic.
So for me - Europa & Ceres are looking great. In fact at this rate most places in the solar system seem to have water in some form or another and so in reality the whole system is effectively up for grabs!
Moreover there is good news... there is already a spacecraft on its way, Dawn, expected to arrive in February 2015.
This Hubble image is all the information we currently have on this dwarf planet... it is therefore begging for further investigation.
I am looking forward to 2015 and also 2016 when Juno arrives at Europa... they will be two of my most exciting years.
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