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Bacterial Explanation For Europa's Rosy Glow
New Scientist ^ | 12-11-2001 | Nicola Jones

Posted on 12/11/2001 6:34:59 AM PST by blam

Bacterial explanation for Europa's rosy glow

10:34 11 December 01
Nicola Jones

The red tinge of Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, could be caused by frozen bits of bacteria. Their presence would also help explain Europa's mysterious infrared signal.

Photo: NASA

Europa is mostly frozen water, but it absorbs infrared radiation differently to how normal ice does. Researchers think this is because something is binding the water molecules together. Salts of magnesium sulphate frozen within the ice, for example, would make the molecules vibrate at different frequencies. But no one has managed to come up with the perfect mix of salts to explain all of Europa's spectrum.

Astrogeophysicist Brad Dalton wondered if something else was bound up with the water molecules. "Just on a lark, I asked a colleague of mine at Yellowstone if he had any IR spectra of extremophile bacteria," he says, and he was shocked by how well they matched Europa's mysterious spectrum.

Then he analysed three kinds of bacteria under the same sort of conditions as Europa: its temperature is about -170 °C and at 0.01 millibars it has virtually no atmosphere.

Liquid water

Preliminary results show that all three species, the ordinary gut bacteria Escherichia coli, and extremophiles Deinococcus radiodurans and Sulfolobus shibatae, are just as good at explaining Europa's IR spectrum as the salts. However Dalton says the two species that thrive under extreme conditions are obviously more likely candidates for life on the icy moon. They also happen to be pink and brown, which would help explain the red patches on the moon's face.

Bacteria couldn't survive on Europa's surface, but there might be liquid water inside Europa's icy crust capable of supporting life. "They could be blasted out to the surface in some kind of eruption and flash frozen," says Dalton. He plans to present his results at the Lunar and Planetary Science conference next spring.

Glenn Teeter from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington state says bacteria aren't the simplest explanation for Europa's spectrum. "It does strike me as a bit far fetched," he says. But it can't be ruled out until we go there to see.

10:34 11 December 01


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"Something wonderful is happening."
1 posted on 12/11/2001 6:34:59 AM PST by blam
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To: blam
Mmmmm...maybe a huge tube of inter-galactic Clearasil is called for.
2 posted on 12/11/2001 6:37:46 AM PST by Wolfie
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To: blam
Neat !!
3 posted on 12/11/2001 6:38:14 AM PST by Dustbunny
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To: blam
Nice marble. I'll trade you this steely for it?
4 posted on 12/11/2001 6:43:41 AM PST by isthisnickcool
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To: blam
Bump
5 posted on 12/11/2001 6:54:10 AM PST by Fiddlstix
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To: RightWhale; RadioAstronomer
FYI.
6 posted on 12/11/2001 7:03:39 AM PST by blam
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To: blam
the evolutionists are just hoping and praying that this turns out, unlike the failed mars bacteria hype.
7 posted on 12/11/2001 7:19:24 AM PST by What about Bob?
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To: blam
neat post - aside, has an object ever landed on Uranus. What do we know about Uranus.

Are there any pictures of the surface of Uranus ?

What kind of bacteria are present on Uranus and what color do you think they are?

I have not seen Uranus in the night sky, what is the magnitude of Uranus? - can I see it with a 4" reflector?

Has there been a manned mission to Uranus.

Sorry dude - you set yourself up for that - I'll go away now

8 posted on 12/11/2001 7:25:07 AM PST by Revelation 911
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To: What about Bob?
"unlike the failed mars bacteria hype."

Failed? Most familiar with this subject would say that the 'jury is still out.'

9 posted on 12/11/2001 7:30:14 AM PST by blam
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To: blam
"All these worlds are yours except europa!"

Mike

10 posted on 12/11/2001 7:34:19 AM PST by MichaelP
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To: blam
And what type of junk science is this? I would like to know the temperature and atmospheric conditions on Europa that would allow bacteria to live there. This is laughable.
11 posted on 12/11/2001 7:34:31 AM PST by exmarine
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To: blam
The real question is, if it does turn out to be some kind of recognizable form of cyanobacteria, will future environmentalists say we can't utilize its water? There is no big monolith to stop us from killing or growing those organism if they turn out to be dangerous or useful.
12 posted on 12/11/2001 7:35:20 AM PST by Liberal Classic
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To: Revelation 911
"Sorry dude - you set yourself up for that - I'll go away now"

What is a dude?....Regardless, I'm pretty sure I'm not one.

13 posted on 12/11/2001 7:36:36 AM PST by blam
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To: What about Bob?
the evolutionists are just hoping and praying that this turns out, unlike the failed mars bacteria hype.

What does having bacteria on Europa have to do with evolutionists?

14 posted on 12/11/2001 7:38:31 AM PST by dirtboy
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To: MichaelP
"All these worlds are yours except europa!"

"All your world are belong to us, except Europa."

15 posted on 12/11/2001 7:39:05 AM PST by Paradox
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To: Revelation 911
Sorry dude - you set yourself up for that - I'll go away now

Set himself up for WHAT? For you to make a completely irrelevant string of comments?

16 posted on 12/11/2001 7:39:23 AM PST by dirtboy
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To: blam
"Something wonderful is happening."

You call that wonderful? The whole dang world has done spoiled!

17 posted on 12/11/2001 7:45:12 AM PST by Physicist
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To: blam
What is a dude?....Regardless, I'm pretty sure I'm not one.

let me try again then, my apologies for offending your sensibilities...Sorry sir - you set yourself up for that -

pardon my vile slang & my giddy attempt humor- it plainly missed the intended mark

18 posted on 12/11/2001 7:45:12 AM PST by Revelation 911
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To: dirtboy
do any of you have any sense of humor ? relax

Uranus = Your anus -

childish.... yes... but funny to only the non pocket protector types.

My apologies

19 posted on 12/11/2001 7:48:53 AM PST by Revelation 911
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To: What about Bob?
Now cut that out! This is just more fun speculation. No one thought that bacteria could leave in your stomach until 20 years ago either. That poor guy had to keep infecting himself over and over again to convince people.
20 posted on 12/11/2001 7:51:14 AM PST by <1/1,000,000th%
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