Photo: twitter.com/globalfirstnews
An artistic depiction of the surface of Titan
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Craters on cold Titan could have become the “cradle” for the origin of life, planetary scientists say.
Scientists from the University of Campinas have found that conditions for the origin of life could arise on one of the largest moons of Saturn – Titan. Science.
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The data obtained with the Cassini probe confirmed that the surface of Titan is covered with organic hydrocarbons, as well as an ice crust, under which is the ocean, located about a hundred kilometers below the surface of the satellite.
Planetary scientists concluded that an asteroid or comet colliding with a satellite could break through the ice crust, which would lead to a mixture of water and organic matter in the resulting crater.
Thus, impact craters are an ideal place for the birth of the simplest living organisms.
Scientists modeled the impact that led to the appearance of the largest crater on the satellite – Menrwa, 425 kilometers wide. Its age is estimated at a billion years.
According to the model presented, due to the high temperature in the crater, a lake was formed that lasted only a million years before freezing. However, planetary scientists believe that this time could be enough for microbes to evolve using liquid water, organic molecules and heat from impact.
Although the study focused on Menrwe, Titan’s younger craters may also hold evidence of life in ice.
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