The Goldilocks zone???

maninasia

mickmackey1 wrote: »

There's a huge difference between organic molecules and life, and no evidence whatsoever that comets played any role.

It's a possibility, there are mineral, ice, organics and perhaps more surprises hiding out.

Do a google search on estimated numbers of objects in the Oort cloud. Read a bit more about how comets got shot around solar systems, galaxies and the universe. It's interesting stuff.

http://www.space.com/16401-oort-cloud-the-outer-solar-system-s-icy-shell.html

The estimated two trillion objects in the Oort Cloud are primarily composed of ices such as ammonia, methane, and water. Formed in the beginning of the solar system, they remain pristine chunks of its early life, allowing comets to provide insight into the environment in which the early Earth evolved. While gravity drew other bits of dust and ice together into larger celestial bodies, the residents of the Oort Cloud weren't as fortunate. Gravity from the other planets—primarily gas giants such as Jupiter—kicked them into the outer solar system, where they remain.

The population of the Oort Cloud is in a constant state of flux. Not only are some of its residents permanently booted out of the system through interactions with passing neighbors, the sun may also capture the inhabitants from the shells surrounding other stars. Some of the bodies plunging toward the sun may have been kidnapped early in the sun's evolution, when it was part of a more closely-packed cluster of stars.

In short , there's a possibility that the Oort cloud could be seeded with bacterial life from another oort-like cloud of a passing solar system or from random comets that were ejected from their original oort-like clouds. The oort cloud has so many objects, and the space it occupies so vast, it would stand to reason to have more chances to interact with other passing objects. Just an idea.

Evolution wouldn't just stop on a planet level or oort cloud level, it would make sense for organisms to evolve to be able to jump across planetary and solar system boundaries and spread through a galaxy, if they have the opportunity!

maninasia

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

I wouldn't be a bit surprised. For life to evolve from nothing to single cells inside a billion years, and then, in the next billion years, do nothing, and then another billion years later evolve the nucleus, and another billion before they evolve into anything multicelllular.

That first step looks suspiciously fast.

I agree, life seemed to have got a toe hold very early on.
I think the second idea could be questioned i.e. life 'done nothing'.
Microbial life is far more complex than eukaryotes, occupying far more environmental niches and what must be a 1000x more diversity in biochemistry.
Microbes are NOT simple. They may seem simple on a species level, but you have to take into account their overall diversity and also the fact that live in communities of organisms, they don't just exist on their own.

maninasia

Picture of the Oort cloud surrounding the solar system for reference (of course the distance between objects is not accurately scaled).

ThunderCat

maninasia wrote: »

Picture of the Oort cloud surrounding the solar system for reference (of course the distance between objects is not accurately scaled).

In the newest series of Cosmos, De-Grasse Tyson said that the distance between the Oort cloud objects is the same as the distance between Earth and Saturn.

Bohrio

I am still not certain what all this has to do with the goldilocks

I find it interesting though, maybe we should start a new thread?

maninasia

Which part are you referring to? If you mean the Oort cloud..yeah it could be split.


You have somehow claimed (spuriously) that Europa is not relevant to the Goldilocks zone, have you actually looked at this NASA scientist's presentation yet? Looked at the research.

You said complex life (your definition of complex seems to be mean..big animals) couldn't evolve in the ocean. Really?

Bohrio

maninasia wrote: »

Which part are you referring to? If you mean the Oort cloud..yeah it could be split.


You have somehow claimed (spuriously) that Europa is not relevant to the Goldilocks zone, have you actually looked at this NASA scientist's presentation yet? Looked at the research.

You said complex life (your definition of complex seems to be mean..big animals) couldn't evolve in the ocean. Really?

Sorry not sure who are ypou addressing this to but now that you are back, can you please explain what is the goldilocks zone for you?

maninasia

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23130860-500-alien-oceans-searching-for-life-in-the-solar-systems-secret-seas/

Chemical clues indicate that the subsurface oceans of icy moons like Europa and Enceladus are the best spots to look for biological activity

maninasia

Follow up article on Enceladus.
Japanese scientists competed five years of teSts on bacteria from 1km down and they came through with flying colours.

Relatives of those bacteria are likely out there not just here!

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2162288-we-may-have-already-found-signs-of-alien-microbes-on-enceladus/

maninasia

I saw this on the BBC and thought you should see it:

Exomoons: on the hunt for distant worlds - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-44605761