Thanks to modern telescopes like the Hubble and James Webb, astronomers can study distant galaxies and even observe the birth of new stars. But despite such powerful equipment, our own solar system still holds many secrets. For example, scientists still cannot say for sure whether life exists on the Moon. It is unlikely to have existed before the 1970s, but astronauts during the Apollo space program could well have brought microscopic life to the Moon, and it is possible that it continued to develop on the surface of the Earth's satellite. In this article, we propose to talk about this and other secrets that the solar system holds.
Contents
- 1 Is there life on the Moon?
- 2 Is there a ninth planet?
- 3 How is the Kuiper Belt structured?
- 4 Was there life on Venus?
- 5 Is there life on Mars?
Is there life on the Moon?
When we think about the Moon, we rarely imagine life on its surface. The Moon is considered lifeless, but perhaps microscopic life forms have appeared there, and the astronauts are to blame!
According to Gizmodo, 96 bags of human waste, including feces and urine, were left on the moon during the Apollo missions. This waste, of course, contained a huge number of bacteria that ended up on the moon with the astronauts. In essence, the astronauts of the last century, without even realizing it, launched a biological experiment that has been going on for decades now.
Scientists still wonder: could these microbes survive the extreme conditions of the moon? They were exposed to solar and cosmic radiation and extreme temperatures. Some scientists want to study these abandoned samples to see if the bacteria have mutated or are able to survive in space.
Answering these questions could open up new horizons in understanding whether living organisms can survive interplanetary or even interstellar travel.
Read also: What happened to the flag and rover left on the Moon after the astronauts landed?
Is there a ninth planet?
In 2006, Pluto lost its status as a planet, and there are officially eight planets left in the solar system.
Ten years later, in 2016, astronomers Mike Brown and Konstantin Batygin hypothesized that another, as yet undiscovered, Planet Nine may be lurking at the edge of our system.. Astronomers have noticed strange changes in the orbits of several objects in the Kuiper Belt, a region beyond Neptune filled with asteroids and dwarf planets. These changes may be due to the presence of a massive planet whose gravity is affecting the motion of other bodies. The body is believed to be about 5 to 10 times larger than Earth and is so far away that it has not yet been detected.
But the Planet Nine hypothesis is not the only one. Some scientists suggest that the mysterious impact could be caused by a tiny black hole or an anomaly in the gravitational field.
Despite many assumptions, the question of what exactly is on the outskirts of the Solar System remains unanswered. Perhaps future research will help solve this mystery, and we will have a new look at the structure of our system.
Another unexpected assumption: Planet Nine may be closer than scientists thought
How is the Kuiper Belt structured?
Since we have touched on the Kuiper Belt, let's continue.
The Kuiper Belt— a ring of many small celestial bodies that encircles the Sun just beyond the orbit of Neptune, starting at a distance of about 30 astronomical units. This region is filled with asteroids, comets, and dwarf planets like Pluto.
Scientists have long been puzzled by the fact that closer to the outer edge, at a distance of about 55 astronomical units, the number of objects in this belt suddenly decreases sharply. Theoretically, there should be more bodies, but observations show the opposite.
One explanation for this phenomenon is technical limitations. Objects at such great distances may be too small to be observed from Earth, although they may exist there.
In addition, data from the New Horizons spacecraft indicate a high density of dust on these outskirts, which may indicate that the belt continues beyond 55 astronomical units. But this is just a guess, and the question of “why does the Kuiper Belt suddenly end” remains open.
Was there life on Venus?
A long time ago, Venus may have been a completely different planet.
Scientists believe it had many similarities to Earth: oceans, a milder climate, and perhaps even conditions that were conducive to life. According to Little Astronomy, Venus is a near-twin of Earth in size and mass, but it is now a completely inhospitable world with temperatures over 460 degrees Celsius and an atmosphere filled with carbon dioxide and clouds of sulfuric acid. The pressure on the surface of Venus is 90 times greater than on Earth, making it incredibly harsh for any kind of life, even extremophiles.
Researchers believe that billions of years ago, Venus may have retained water on its surface, creating a more comfortable climate. But at some point, the planet began to experience a destructive greenhouse effect. There are two main hypotheses as to why this happened. One is that the Sun may have become brighter and hotter over time, eventually causing Venus to overheat. Another theory links the changes to volcanic activity, which released huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, increasing the greenhouse effect and evaporating the oceans.
Now scientists are eagerly awaiting future missions that will help us understand how Venus turned into a fiery hell and what this can tell us about the fate of other planets, including Earth.
Is there life on Mars?
And finally, we need to at least talk a little about Mars. The efforts of many scientists are now aimed specifically at finding life on the Red Planet. News about Mars appears with enviable regularity, and we always talk about all the most important things at least in the Telegram channel.
Scientists have long wondered whether life could have existed on Mars. In the past, Mars looked much more habitable: there may have been rivers, lakes and even oceans. Recent discoveries by rovers have confirmed that there was once water on the planet's surface, and have also found molecules that may be associated with life.
Today, Mars is a cold, desert planet with a thin atmosphere consisting mainly of carbon dioxide. However, some scientists believe that simple forms of life may have existed in the distant past, and may even be hiding somewhere under the surface today. So far, not a single Martian bacteria has been found, but the search continues.
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Even though Mars and Venus no longer seem suitable for life today, research continues to reveal the secrets of these planets. But what if, in billions of years, the conditions for life could change on other worlds in the solar system? Imagine that even Pluto, a dwarf planet that is currently frozen and far from the Sun, could one day become habitable. Want to know how this is possible? Then don't miss our article “Pluto may become the last habitable planet in the Solar System in 5 billion years”!