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The surface layer is mostly irrelevant for life conditions when considering oceans enclosed in ice. Even a few meters under a water ice surface you already have
by FranOntanaya 6y ago
The surface layer is mostly irrelevant for life conditions when considering oceans enclosed in ice. Even a few meters under a water ice surface you already have plenty insulation from surface temperatures, whatever exothermic process you get going is going to stay warm for a long while.
Europa surface is actually more hostile for life due to the heavy radiation from Jupiter.
If we find life in icy moons, then we have to consider that the number of icy dwarf planets in the Kuiper belt, the Oort cloud and the orbits beyond are likely in the thousands. As long as they kept some heat from impacts, nuclear decay or binary tides they may have oceans suitable for life. Impacts carrying life may be rarer up there but they are probably lower speed being in higher orbits, so they'd be more survivable for organisms.
- rjayatilleka 6y agoWhy would Jupiter give off radiation?
- kkylin 6y agohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetosphere_of_Jupiter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetosphere_of_Jupiter
- jacobolus 6y agoYou could find the answer to this question with a 20 second web search. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetosphere_of_Jupiter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetosphere_of_Jupiter
- ehnto 6y agoIt's more fun to have a conversation with someone though, you can have a more nuanced discussion. You shouldn't assume people are just being lazy, sometimes they just want to engage with the community.
- echelon 6y agoThis is a community of learners. No question is stupid. Don't assume laziness. By taking this attitude as a default, you stifle the curiosity of others. Healthy discussion shouldn't be discouraged.
- AngryData 6y agoIm not super knowledgeable on it but from what I understand it is a combination of solar winds, Jupiter's magnetosphere, and and Io's volcanoes blowing tons of shit into space, all intersecting together and blasting protons out.
- colechristensen 6y agoA very strong magnetic field and a spinning planet interacting with volcanic gases from one of the moons makes a particle accelerator in orbit of the planet.