Modern space exploration: you just have to love it. The recent discoveries on the moons of Titan (Saturn) and Io (Jupiter) are nothing short of amazing! The Cassini space probe has sent back some incredible photos and data pointing towards primordial conditions resembling those believed to have existed here on Earth. Rivers of liquid ammonia, volcanic activity, and faint atmospheres are among the many discoveries made as the Cassini probe made its fly-by. Current knowledge, or at least commonly held beliefs and theories, of evolution, our Solar System, and the life cycles of stars will give insight into the future of our Solar System.
As most know by now, Jupiter and Saturn are considered ‘gas giants,' basically stars that failed to completely form and ignite. They orbit our Sun at such a great distance, the sun is rendered but a bright point of light in a night sky. Our local star does little to warm and thaw these frozen worlds. Their respective moons orbit a cold and lifeless planet. Titan and Io speed along in their embryonic state, their biggest concern is avoiding collisions with other moons and asteroids that crowd their space. Their rivers of ammonia and geysers flow and churn in darkness, not knowing the light of day. But apply a little bit of astrophysics, and let's see what happens to our little Solar System.
Our own sun is considered a yellow star, thought to be but a youngster in the life cycle of stars. Over the next few billion years though, our sun will expand and grow into a Red Giant. This expansion will play tug-of-war with the gravitational pulls of Jupiter and Saturn, drawing their moons into a deeper orbit around these planets. The heat from the expanding sun will begin to thaw Titan and Io, and increase the already intense internal pressures of Jupiter and Saturn, causing ignition. These now fledgling stars will continue to warm and thaw the embryonic moons, sparking the chain of evolutionary processes believed to have occurred here on Earth. Eventually our sun will supernova into a white dwarf, leaving Jupiter and Saturn to warm and nourish Titan and Io on their own, yet providing enough gravity to keep them from plummeting into the new stars.
Does this sound a little far fetched? Not if you apply commonly held theories of astrophysics and knowledge of evolutionary processes. The recent experiments on organic compounds and amino acids as they react to heat and light can shed light on how life began. If life can happen here on Earth, why not on Titan and Io? The conditions are believed to be quite similar, all that is needed is just the right spark!
About the Author
Hello friends. I have always been somewhat of an open minded and "out there" kind of person. I like to look at things from, let's say, unconventional points of views. A lot of things can be learned and discovered if you just apply "outside the box" thinking. I am not afraid of a little controversy, I welcome it. My favorite thing to do is make connections that none would consider. Name any two objects, concepts, or other aspects, the more unlikely the better, and I will find a way to connect them. Go ahead, try me. I dare ya!
Creation Astrophysics: The Solar System is a few thousand years old.
