Water In Space

Astronomers recently discovered a water vapor cloud surrounding a black hole that is over 140 trillion times the size of Earth’s oceans.

About 4 billion years ago Mars had a primitive ocean, but 87% of its water has since been lost to space as its atmosphere deteriorated.

Ancient river deltas as pictured by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor.

Credit: NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems

In 2015, Mars’ Curiosity rover confirmed the presence of liquid water on the Red Planet. Curiosity found that tiny amounts of water vapor condense as a liquid in the planet's soil at night and evaporate away in the morning. High amounts of salt in the soil lower the melting point of water, allowing it to temporarily pool as a liquid despite the subzero temperatures.

While the freezing temperatures make it very unlikely that life exists there, the presence of liquid water could make it easier for humans to settle on Mars in the future.

2014 - Water vapor is observed being emitted from Ceres’ surface, hinting at the strong possibility of a liquid ocean lurking beneath its icy surface.

Image from the Dawn spacecraft showing Ceres’ bright spots.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA

In March 2015, NASA’s Dawn spacecraft entered into orbit around Ceres, providing our first ever close up views of its surface. A series of bright spots on its surface are believed to be patches of ice, reflecting sunlight.

Strong evidence of an ocean. Ability to support life – unknown.

Europa is one of 67 moons that orbit Jupiter and is one of the most likely places for life beyond Earth in our solar system.

Although the surface temperature of Europa can be as cold as -220 C, the immense gravitational pull from Jupiter creates a tidal effect on the sub-surface ocean causing it to remain liquid.

Evidence of tectonic activity suggests the possibility of hydrothermal vents and organic material being present in Europa’s ocean. As a result, the three basic elements of life (water, heat and organic material) are likely present inside Europa.

2015 – NASA’s Hubble Telescope observes shifts in Ganymede’s version of the northern lights, confirming the presence of a dense liquid beneath its icy crust.

Jupiter’s largest moon and the largest moon in the solar system. It is so large that if it happened to orbit the sun instead of Jupiter it would be classified as a planet. Scientists estimate the ocean is 100 kilometres thick – 10 times deeper than Earth's oceans – and is buried under a 150 kilometre crust of mostly ice.

Locked, trapped ocean beneath thick layer of ice. Unlikely to support life.

This moon is believed to be one of the oldest objects in the solar system and its geologic landscape has been virtually unchanged for over

4 billion years. Because of its magnetic field and low radiation levels, Callisto has long been considered one of the most suitable places for future manned exploration.

In 2005, NASA’s Cassini probe observed water vapor and ice spewing from vents near the moon's south pole, hinting at the existence of a hidden ocean.

Enceladus as viewed from NASA's Cassini spacecraft.

Credit: Cassini Imaging Team/SSI/JPL/ESA/NASA

Although it is extremely cold, the subsurface ocean may be kept liquid by that moon’s flexing as it follows an eccentric orbit around Saturn.

Active, dynamic ocean capable of supporting life.

The surface of Titan is covered in numerous large rivers and lakes of liquid methane and ethane. Some scientists speculate that micro-organisms could survive off these liquids in place of water. Perhaps life does not require liquid water, but just liquid anything…

A false-color representation of data collected by NASA’s Cassini probe. Titan’s largest hydrocarbon lake, Kraken Mare, is larger than Earth’s Lake Superior.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Agenzia Spaziale Italiana/USGS

Titan is the largest Moon of Saturn and the only moon in the solar system known to have a dense atmosphere and stable bodies of liquid flowing on its surface.

Mimas, Triton, & Pluto are also thought to contain subsurface liquid oceans, but further study is needed to confirm these theories.

NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope continuously monitors more than 150,000 stars beyond our solar system and has so far uncovered more than 4,000 candidate planets for further study.

$Kepler has only seen a fraction of our galaxy. The Milky Way is thought to contain between 100-400 billion stars and at least as many planets.$

NASA and its partner space agencies from around the world have long realized that the most effective way to monitor the health of Earth is to study it from above using satellites.

Dynamic, active ocean covering 71% of its surface that supports an incredible diversity of life.

The data collected from this constellation of satellites has revolutionized our understanding of Earth and its water.

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