Researchers have determined – there can be no extraterrestrial life on the moon “Europa”

A significant disappointment for those who dreamed of life outside the Earth: a new study states that the moon Europa of the planet Jupiter, considered for years one of the most promising candidates for locating life in the solar system, does not include the geological conditions required for the existence of life, at least as they are known to science today.

The research, published in the scientific journal Nature Communications, was conducted under the leadership of Paul Byrne from Washington University in St. Louis, in collaboration with a team of earth, environmental and planetary science researchers. The researchers examined in depth the internal structure of Europa, its size, the composition of its rocky core and the effect of the gravitational forces exerted on it by Jupiter.

Europa, an ice-covered moon estimated to be tens of kilometers thick, hides beneath its surface a vast salty ocean up to 100 kilometers deep. Because of this, for decades the possibility has been raised that at the bottom of that ocean similar conditions exist to areas on Earth where life develops around hot hydrothermal vents. But according to the new findings, this hope is fading.

The calculations performed by the team show that there is no significant tectonic activity on the ocean floor of Europe, there is no evidence of the existence of hot springs, underwater volcanoes or other active geological processes, which are considered an essential source of energy for the development of life. According to the researchers, Europa’s core heat is very poor and likely leaked into space already billions of years ago.

Meanwhile, the effect of the tidal forces exerted by Jupiter on the moon was also examined. While on Io, which is closer and has a more elliptical orbit, these forces create extreme volcanic activity, on Europa the orbit is more stable and distant. This means that tidal forces are relatively weak and not sufficient to drive geological processes deep on the ocean floor.

If in the future a robotic submarine is sent under the ice of Europa, the researchers estimate, it will encounter an almost completely silent bottom, with no new cracks, no heat currents and no signs of activity capable of supporting life. In a frozen world like Europe, such geological silence may indicate a barren ocean.

Despite the pessimistic conclusions, the researchers emphasize that the scientific interest in Europe is far from over. The Europa Clipper mission of the American space agency NASA, which is expected to pass near the moon at the beginning of the next decade, will provide more accurate measurements of the ice layer and the ocean below it. These data may shed additional light on the geological history of Europa and the possibility that different conditions existed there in the distant past.

Even if the final statement that Europe is devoid of life is confirmed, the researchers do not consider it a failure. The search for extraterrestrial life continues, and according to them, the universe is vast enough to contain life elsewhere, even if tens or hundreds of light years away.