The trail of chemicals detected on Saturn’s moon Titan suggests the sort of conditions that precede the emergence of life – prebiotic conditions.
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Martin Rahm, a postdoctoral researcher in chemistry and lead author of the new study, believes that the presence of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) molecules in the atmosphere could pave the way for different forms of life to evolve.
The moon’s dense atmosphere, which appears as a yellow haze, contains methane and nitrogen.
To grasp the blueprint of early planetary life, Rahm said we must think outside of green-blue, Earth-based biology: “We are used to our own conditions here on Earth”.
“Polyimine can exist as different structures, and they may be able to accomplish remarkable things at low temperatures, especially under Titan’s conditions”.
Speaking generally from his own research and familiarity with Titan, Dr. Minard, a senior lecturer emeritus at Pennsylvania State University, says it is “possible that the chemistry going on there could lead to self-replicating life forms, but it’s hard for me to see how that could happen because oxygen is such an important part of bio-molecules”. True, that liquid isn’t water, but methane, and its temperature is a pretty nippy -179˚C – but while these conditions make it a no-go holiday destination for humans, it could be home to other kinds of life. It has terrains, rivers and seas of liquid methane. Hydrogen cyanide is a key component for prebiotic conditions.
The data from the NASA probes was plugged into a computer simulation run by Rahm and his team, which revealed that polyimine could spark life in the ultra-cold temperatures on the surface of Titan.
Titan’s atmosphere comprises of hydrogen cyanide that is believed to be a building block of life on earth.
“Whether or not there’s a step after the forming of the polymer we don’t know”, says Rahm, who explains the complexity of predicting how the polyimine would act on Titan’s surface, when exposed to other compounds.
This new research gives scientists even more reasons to take a closer look at Titan in their hunt for extraterrestrial life.
According to Nature World News, Titan was always a consideration because its surface has many similarities to Earth. Life doesn’t necessarily have to follow the exact blueprint that it did on Earth.
Although the study is groundbreaking, it isn’t the first to pinpoint the possibility of life on Titan. Titan’s methane cycle resembles the water cycle on Earth, creating clouds, winds, and rain.
The findings are outlined in a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
One of Saturn’s moons, Titan, is one of the remotest and strangest places in the Solar System. We see this as a preparation for further exploration.
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Going in circles around the planet may not be enough to fully understand how it formed, so scientists had to turn to other celestial objects and planets just to find clues that they need.
