We all wonder if it is possible to have life beyond Earth. In the late 20th century, scientists claim to have found the possible remains of bacterial life in a Martian meteorite, brought the question of the existence of life beyond the Earth to the forefront of science exploration. Although there is no confirmed evidence of extraterrestrial life , the possibility of life being a common feature of the universe has been strengthened by the discovery of planets going around other stars, and the moons of other planets showing signs of probable existence of water.
Did you know that there is a specialized group of scientists called Astrobiologists who pursue the study of how life originates and how life can survive in many different types of environments. This often involves the study of extreme life right here on Earth. To gain this understanding, astrobiologists combines the knowledge and techniques from many fields, including astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, atmospheric science, oceanography and aeronautical engineering.
Advance in technology and telescope making has led to the search of inhabitable planets, extraterrestrial intelligence within and outside of our solar system. As per NASA , Astrobiology research sponsored by them focuses on three basic questions:
- How does life begin and evolve?
- Does life exist elsewhere in the Universe?
- How do we search for life in the Universe?
For life like that on earth -which are Carbon based – to exists, water is essential. Traditionally, the astrobiologists have defined an inhabitable zone – a safe distance from sun where liquid water can exist on surface. Now they have to explore new possibilities.
We have seen many Hollywood movies and series showing life outside of earth. As a result of all the scientific missions, we expect to find microbial life forms , as single-celled life is adaptable to a wide range of environments and requires less energy. Governments are spending money on space research to satisfy human curiosity about our planet’s origin and to find an inhabitable planet. The by products of space research are many including our improved cellular networks, and in areas of Agriculture, Public Safety, Transportation, etc. One day purpose of Space travel will be beyond just Space tourism.
AbSciCon 2022 will be held in 2nd week of May in Atlanta, Georgia. It brings in the astrobiology community together every two years to share research, collaborate, and plan for the future.
My References
https://www.amnh.org/learn-teach/curriculum-collections/cosmic-horizons-book/fossil-microbes-mars
https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/news/submit-your-abstract-to-abscicon-2022/
Journey into the World of Life Science 