Cassini Images Reveal Spectacular Evidence Of An Active Moon

Space Daily.com ^ | Dec 07, 2005 | JPL, NASA

[dead]

One of Saturn's moons, Enceladus, shown in this recent image captured by the Cassini
spacecraft, is spraying icy particles into space from the area around its south pole,
a sure sign of geologic activity. Photo: Reuters

[Daus]

And it's neighboring moon, Boorido.

[RadioAstronomer]

So that's a pretty good argument that Earth is unique.

What are the boundries you consider unique?

[js1138]

I would think the earth's history of mass exticntion events is unique. It would be interesting to have some additional histories of planets with life to help assess the probability of species having language.

[coolconsideratemen]

I hope this summer's "what have we ever gotten for our investment in NASA" crowd are watching. . .

[RadioAstronomer]

I would think the earth's history of mass exticntion events is unique.

I disagree. In a dynamic solar system (and I would put money down that is the norm) those kind of events would be typical for a world with a viable ecosystem.

[RadioAstronomer]

Thanks. :-)

[Verginius Rufus]

186 kilometers does not equal 300 miles...maybe it was supposed to be 300 kilometers (186 miles).

[RadioAstronomer]

Good catch! :-)

[TN4Liberty]

Do bacteria 'see' us?

And to think... until the last century or so, we couldn't see them or even recognize that they existed. Yet they surely existed.

[js1138]

Asteroid impacts might be common, but the timing could be important. I don't think that human like behavior is inevitable. Of course I could be wrong. Sure would be nice to see at least one example of non-terrestrial evolution.

[RadioAstronomer]

I don't think that human like behavior is inevitable.

Neither do I. Hard to make a curve with only one data point. :-)

I certainly do not "believe" in ET. I suspect ET is out there due to the huge number of stars and galaxies, however, I most certainly do not "buy" we have been visited. It's possible, just very unlikely.

[js1138]

I mistyped. I meant human like physiology, not behavior, but I think you got the point I intended. First, I don't think evolution is directed toward anything in particular. Intelligence is an obvious advantage, but big brains don't necessarily possess the requisites for language. I could see a world stabilized on something like reptiles or insects or fish.

[RightWhale]

You don't listen to Coast often enough. There has been an exchange student program between the US Army and the [I forget which star system] for over twenty years. The first dozen soldiers have just got back. They aren't allowed to talk, of course.

[Lurker]

If they find another moon, it's got to be called Shaloopa.

Maybe we could drop (in on) the (moon) Shaloopa.

L

[GeronL]

Well, we must remember that Europa is in a band of heavy radiation, so humans might never land there. We needed another good moon

[GeronL]

It has no effect on my religion, I just need to find a good translator =o)

[Moonman62]

Plus, we don't know how long technically-advanced civilizations can survive.

Since technological progress seems to proceed exponentially once it begins I don't think that's a concern.

[Moonman62]

The Earth is unique until we discover otherwise. It's unlike anything we've discovered so far.

[staytrue]

that no other intelligence besides us exists in the Universe?

I will argue that in our galaxy, we could very well be the only planet with a electro magnetic technology. Earth is about as perfect for life as a planet can be. Yet the dinosaurs had hundreds of millions of years to develope technology and failed. This says that understanding tech is not easy. Further dogs and chimps are both pretty smart in a lot of ways, but neither could pass 2nd grade math.