1 00:00:13,749 --> 00:00:11,110 we're here live in washington dc 2 00:00:15,749 --> 00:00:13,759 today we have not one but two scientific 3 00:00:18,150 --> 00:00:15,759 findings for you about oceans beyond 4 00:00:20,390 --> 00:00:18,160 earth we'll be going coast to coast and 5 00:00:21,830 --> 00:00:20,400 ocean to ocean to talk to experts 6 00:00:23,670 --> 00:00:21,840 starting from people right here in 7 00:00:25,670 --> 00:00:23,680 washington dc 8 00:00:27,990 --> 00:00:25,680 and then all also going all the way to 9 00:00:30,710 --> 00:00:28,000 the west coast to talk to nasa's jet 10 00:00:32,870 --> 00:00:30,720 propulsion laboratory in pasadena 11 00:00:34,069 --> 00:00:32,880 california 12 00:00:36,310 --> 00:00:34,079 and then we're going to go all the way 13 00:00:38,549 --> 00:00:36,320 to the east coast to talk to nasa's 14 00:00:40,150 --> 00:00:38,559 goddard space flight center in greenbelt 15 00:00:42,310 --> 00:00:40,160 maryland 16 00:00:44,950 --> 00:00:42,320 today's panelists are 17 00:00:48,150 --> 00:00:44,960 thomas zurbukin associate administrator 18 00:00:52,790 --> 00:00:48,160 for the science mission directorate 19 00:00:55,670 --> 00:00:52,800 jim greene director of planetary science 20 00:00:58,470 --> 00:00:55,680 mary wojtek lead scientist for nasa's 21 00:01:02,630 --> 00:00:58,480 astrobiology program 22 00:01:04,070 --> 00:01:02,640 the panelists at jpl in california are 23 00:01:06,950 --> 00:01:04,080 linda spilker 24 00:01:10,950 --> 00:01:06,960 cassini project scientist 25 00:01:13,190 --> 00:01:10,960 hunter waite cassini inms team lead with 26 00:01:17,109 --> 00:01:13,200 the southwest research institute or 27 00:01:21,030 --> 00:01:17,119 sweari in san antonio texas 28 00:01:23,590 --> 00:01:21,040 chris glenn cassini inms team associate 29 00:01:25,670 --> 00:01:23,600 also from sweary 30 00:01:27,990 --> 00:01:25,680 and joining us from goddard in maryland 31 00:01:29,830 --> 00:01:28,000 we have william sparks astronomer and 32 00:01:31,749 --> 00:01:29,840 lead author of the hubble findings with 33 00:01:33,990 --> 00:01:31,759 the space telescope science institute in 34 00:01:35,990 --> 00:01:34,000 baltimore 35 00:01:38,469 --> 00:01:36,000 the news today can be found at 36 00:01:41,190 --> 00:01:38,479 www.nasa.gov 37 00:01:42,630 --> 00:01:41,200 and also the following webpages 38 00:01:45,510 --> 00:01:42,640 if you'd like to ask a question via 39 00:01:47,270 --> 00:01:45,520 social media please use the hashtag ask 40 00:01:50,389 --> 00:01:47,280 nasa 41 00:01:52,310 --> 00:01:50,399 and with that thomas can you kick us off 42 00:01:54,230 --> 00:01:52,320 hey thanks so much felicia 43 00:01:56,950 --> 00:01:54,240 it's another great day of science at 44 00:01:59,270 --> 00:01:56,960 nasa here and in the science directorate 45 00:02:01,670 --> 00:01:59,280 we really focus on three objectives the 46 00:02:04,230 --> 00:02:01,680 first one is to understand and to 47 00:02:06,630 --> 00:02:04,240 improve life on earth 48 00:02:09,510 --> 00:02:06,640 we also do fundamental research from 49 00:02:11,270 --> 00:02:09,520 here to the depths of the universe and 50 00:02:12,790 --> 00:02:11,280 understand processes we've never 51 00:02:15,270 --> 00:02:12,800 understood before 52 00:02:17,670 --> 00:02:15,280 and the third topic is one that this is 53 00:02:20,949 --> 00:02:17,680 all about which is about a fundamental 54 00:02:26,229 --> 00:02:23,910 has failed the thinking of so many in 55 00:02:29,030 --> 00:02:26,239 the past and we can answer now hopefully 56 00:02:32,390 --> 00:02:29,040 in the near future and that is is there 57 00:02:34,150 --> 00:02:32,400 life elsewhere see here on earth there's 58 00:02:36,869 --> 00:02:34,160 a number of things that help life 59 00:02:38,630 --> 00:02:36,879 there's water in a liquid form we have 60 00:02:41,030 --> 00:02:38,640 an atmosphere we have a magnetic field 61 00:02:43,589 --> 00:02:41,040 that protects us from the hazards of 62 00:02:45,270 --> 00:02:43,599 space there's many things we have going 63 00:02:46,949 --> 00:02:45,280 for ourselves 64 00:02:47,830 --> 00:02:46,959 so the question where there's life out 65 00:02:50,070 --> 00:02:47,840 there 66 00:02:53,670 --> 00:02:50,080 relates to questions that we're making 67 00:02:55,830 --> 00:02:53,680 progress with all the time and questions 68 00:02:58,229 --> 00:02:55,840 that we have new questions that are 69 00:03:00,070 --> 00:02:58,239 coming forward we don't know yet whether 70 00:03:00,949 --> 00:03:00,080 there is life out there 71 00:03:02,869 --> 00:03:00,959 but 72 00:03:06,790 --> 00:03:02,879 right now we're making a lot of progress 73 00:03:09,110 --> 00:03:06,800 especially the outer solar system 74 00:03:10,790 --> 00:03:09,120 so this is exactly what today's stories 75 00:03:12,630 --> 00:03:10,800 are all about 76 00:03:16,070 --> 00:03:12,640 with this research 77 00:03:17,830 --> 00:03:16,080 we're making a big step forward towards 78 00:03:20,630 --> 00:03:17,840 answering the question 79 00:03:22,309 --> 00:03:20,640 is there life out there and with that 80 00:03:24,390 --> 00:03:22,319 i'm really turning it over to the team 81 00:03:26,790 --> 00:03:24,400 co-team 82 00:03:28,390 --> 00:03:26,800 thank you thomas so nasa's strategy for 83 00:03:29,990 --> 00:03:28,400 searching for life in the universe 84 00:03:31,670 --> 00:03:30,000 begins at home 85 00:03:33,990 --> 00:03:31,680 with an understanding of how life 86 00:03:35,670 --> 00:03:34,000 emerged and evolved here on earth and 87 00:03:38,070 --> 00:03:35,680 what the limits to life are on this 88 00:03:40,070 --> 00:03:38,080 planet we then project that out onto 89 00:03:42,550 --> 00:03:40,080 other places in our solar system to see 90 00:03:45,430 --> 00:03:42,560 if we can find habitable environments 91 00:03:47,350 --> 00:03:45,440 that could support life as we know it 92 00:03:50,309 --> 00:03:47,360 just 40 years ago 93 00:03:51,830 --> 00:03:50,319 nasa sent two viking landers to mars to 94 00:03:55,270 --> 00:03:51,840 look for evidence of life on the red 95 00:03:57,670 --> 00:03:55,280 planet at the same time oceanographers 96 00:04:00,070 --> 00:03:57,680 here on this planet on earth were 97 00:04:01,190 --> 00:04:00,080 exploring the last frontier the deep 98 00:04:02,869 --> 00:04:01,200 ocean 99 00:04:05,589 --> 00:04:02,879 and during that exploration they found 100 00:04:07,589 --> 00:04:05,599 an astonishing made an astonishing 101 00:04:09,350 --> 00:04:07,599 discovery that changed how we thought 102 00:04:11,830 --> 00:04:09,360 about earth and how we thought about 103 00:04:15,509 --> 00:04:11,840 life here on earth and that was an 104 00:04:17,670 --> 00:04:15,519 incredible oasis of life supported 105 00:04:20,550 --> 00:04:17,680 thousands of meters beneath the surface 106 00:04:22,310 --> 00:04:20,560 of the ocean far away from sunlight 107 00:04:25,510 --> 00:04:22,320 and it was supported by the energy 108 00:04:27,990 --> 00:04:25,520 produced by hydrothermal activity 109 00:04:30,870 --> 00:04:28,000 now this is actually this discovery was 110 00:04:34,150 --> 00:04:30,880 incredible for here on earth it led to 111 00:04:36,070 --> 00:04:34,160 but it pointed out a new type of biology 112 00:04:38,710 --> 00:04:36,080 supported by chemistry 113 00:04:40,629 --> 00:04:38,720 that didn't require sunlight which meant 114 00:04:50,550 --> 00:04:40,639 that we could extend our habitable 115 00:04:55,189 --> 00:04:52,790 as we imagine environments very much 116 00:04:57,830 --> 00:04:55,199 like our own hydrothermal vents here on 117 00:04:59,350 --> 00:04:57,840 earth could exist out there so today's 118 00:05:01,430 --> 00:04:59,360 discoveries 119 00:05:03,030 --> 00:05:01,440 have to do with ocean worlds beyond our 120 00:05:04,469 --> 00:05:03,040 own planet and jim's going to tell you 121 00:05:05,270 --> 00:05:04,479 about the missions that brought this to 122 00:05:07,909 --> 00:05:05,280 us 123 00:05:11,270 --> 00:05:07,919 you know it really began in the late 124 00:05:13,350 --> 00:05:11,280 1990s with the mission galileo 125 00:05:16,550 --> 00:05:13,360 galileo orbiting 126 00:05:19,830 --> 00:05:16,560 jupiter was flying by the individual 127 00:05:21,749 --> 00:05:19,840 moons the galilean moons and making 128 00:05:24,310 --> 00:05:21,759 observations of the atmosphere and many 129 00:05:27,110 --> 00:05:24,320 things in that solar system that mini 130 00:05:30,070 --> 00:05:27,120 solar system what it discovered from its 131 00:05:30,870 --> 00:05:30,080 magnetometers it flew real close 132 00:05:34,150 --> 00:05:30,880 to 133 00:05:36,790 --> 00:05:34,160 europa was a magnetic signature 134 00:05:39,270 --> 00:05:36,800 that's very familiar with our scientists 135 00:05:44,310 --> 00:05:39,280 because we interpreted as a current 136 00:05:45,990 --> 00:05:44,320 within an ocean underneath an ice shell 137 00:05:47,189 --> 00:05:46,000 in 2005 138 00:05:50,710 --> 00:05:47,199 cassini 139 00:05:51,749 --> 00:05:50,720 orbiting saturn flying by the moons of 140 00:05:54,710 --> 00:05:51,759 saturn 141 00:05:58,070 --> 00:05:54,720 with close flybys of enceladus it 142 00:05:59,430 --> 00:05:58,080 observed huge plumes of water emanating 143 00:06:03,110 --> 00:05:59,440 from cracks 144 00:06:04,790 --> 00:06:03,120 we now believe that enceladus also has a 145 00:06:07,029 --> 00:06:04,800 huge ocean 146 00:06:10,230 --> 00:06:07,039 we call these bodies and many others 147 00:06:13,909 --> 00:06:10,240 that are like them ocean worlds 148 00:06:17,189 --> 00:06:13,919 they are protected by an ice shell much 149 00:06:20,309 --> 00:06:17,199 like our atmosphere protects us our life 150 00:06:21,590 --> 00:06:20,319 here on earth and our ocean maintaining 151 00:06:24,150 --> 00:06:21,600 its liquid 152 00:06:26,150 --> 00:06:24,160 this is truly an exciting time for us to 153 00:06:28,469 --> 00:06:26,160 be able to probe those 154 00:06:31,909 --> 00:06:28,479 and really try to understand what's 155 00:06:34,230 --> 00:06:31,919 happening in these ocean worlds 156 00:06:37,189 --> 00:06:34,240 what we're going to talk about today are 157 00:06:39,510 --> 00:06:37,199 two really wonderful discoveries 158 00:06:42,150 --> 00:06:39,520 continuing back to cassini which has 159 00:06:44,629 --> 00:06:42,160 always been one of the major 160 00:06:46,150 --> 00:06:44,639 missions that we have making huge number 161 00:06:48,309 --> 00:06:46,160 of discoveries 162 00:06:50,629 --> 00:06:48,319 and we're going to talk about enceladus 163 00:06:53,670 --> 00:06:50,639 and what it's found out we're also going 164 00:06:55,270 --> 00:06:53,680 to talk about hubble observations 165 00:06:58,070 --> 00:06:55,280 back to europa 166 00:07:01,029 --> 00:06:58,080 these two ocean worlds were going to 167 00:07:03,909 --> 00:07:01,039 link together because they're so similar 168 00:07:06,710 --> 00:07:03,919 in many many ways that i hope you'll see 169 00:07:09,749 --> 00:07:06,720 as we go through our discoveries today 170 00:07:12,469 --> 00:07:09,759 so without further ado let's go to jpl 171 00:07:15,350 --> 00:07:12,479 and talk to linda spilker linda what's 172 00:07:17,350 --> 00:07:15,360 cassini been observing 173 00:07:20,870 --> 00:07:17,360 well thanks jim well cassini has been in 174 00:07:22,790 --> 00:07:20,880 orbit around saturn for almost 13 years 175 00:07:24,790 --> 00:07:22,800 and our unexpected discoveries about 176 00:07:26,309 --> 00:07:24,800 enceladus have been some of the most 177 00:07:28,469 --> 00:07:26,319 surprising 178 00:07:31,589 --> 00:07:28,479 today we're publishing a paper about our 179 00:07:34,230 --> 00:07:31,599 recent findings by cassini on enceladus 180 00:07:36,629 --> 00:07:34,240 we've detected hydrogen in the plume of 181 00:07:39,189 --> 00:07:36,639 enceladus that hydrogen is coming from a 182 00:07:41,670 --> 00:07:39,199 hydrothermal vent on the sea floor of 183 00:07:42,710 --> 00:07:41,680 enceladus going out into space through 184 00:07:44,309 --> 00:07:42,720 the plume 185 00:07:46,710 --> 00:07:44,319 and so this is a very significant 186 00:07:49,430 --> 00:07:46,720 finding because the hydrogen could be a 187 00:07:52,230 --> 00:07:49,440 potential source of chemical energy for 188 00:07:53,029 --> 00:07:52,240 any microbes that might be an enceladus 189 00:07:55,749 --> 00:07:53,039 ocean 190 00:07:57,430 --> 00:07:55,759 so this is a very exciting finding for 191 00:07:59,990 --> 00:07:57,440 the cassini tea 192 00:08:02,550 --> 00:08:00,000 now enceladus is too small to have 193 00:08:04,550 --> 00:08:02,560 retained the hydrogen when it formed and 194 00:08:07,189 --> 00:08:04,560 so the hydrogen we see today the 195 00:08:09,589 --> 00:08:07,199 hydrogen gas is coming from inside 196 00:08:12,230 --> 00:08:09,599 enceladus so let's take a quick look at 197 00:08:14,309 --> 00:08:12,240 some of cassini's past findings with 198 00:08:16,309 --> 00:08:14,319 this first image this is a view of the 199 00:08:18,230 --> 00:08:16,319 south pole of enceladus 200 00:08:20,629 --> 00:08:18,240 and the geysers or the jets are coming 201 00:08:22,869 --> 00:08:20,639 from those four cracks we nicknamed 202 00:08:24,550 --> 00:08:22,879 tiger stripes those bluish fractures 203 00:08:27,189 --> 00:08:24,560 that you can see at the south pole of 204 00:08:28,869 --> 00:08:27,199 enceladus in the next picture you can 205 00:08:31,909 --> 00:08:28,879 see that these jets are shooting out 206 00:08:33,589 --> 00:08:31,919 into space forming the giant plume 207 00:08:35,509 --> 00:08:33,599 around enceladus 208 00:08:38,310 --> 00:08:35,519 underneath that icy crust as jim said 209 00:08:40,870 --> 00:08:38,320 there's a global ocean that global ocean 210 00:08:42,870 --> 00:08:40,880 sits on top of a rocky core 211 00:08:45,190 --> 00:08:42,880 and some of cassini's findings pointed 212 00:08:47,190 --> 00:08:45,200 to hydrothermal vents 213 00:08:49,670 --> 00:08:47,200 basically hot water coming out after 214 00:08:52,550 --> 00:08:49,680 it's been mixed with the rocky core and 215 00:08:54,949 --> 00:08:52,560 this final image shows a thermal map the 216 00:08:56,790 --> 00:08:54,959 temperature of the south pole we can see 217 00:08:59,990 --> 00:08:56,800 the warmest temperatures with the yellow 218 00:09:01,190 --> 00:09:00,000 and red are right along the tiger stripe 219 00:09:03,910 --> 00:09:01,200 fractures 220 00:09:05,990 --> 00:09:03,920 so what's new today the new finding is 221 00:09:07,910 --> 00:09:06,000 finding hydrogen 222 00:09:09,670 --> 00:09:07,920 coming from the plume of enceladus and 223 00:09:12,790 --> 00:09:09,680 the fact that it could support 224 00:09:15,430 --> 00:09:12,800 potentially microbes with energy on the 225 00:09:18,389 --> 00:09:15,440 seafloor of enceladus now this finding 226 00:09:20,870 --> 00:09:18,399 is the result of 12 years of cassini 227 00:09:23,829 --> 00:09:20,880 investigations and it really represents 228 00:09:26,230 --> 00:09:23,839 a capstone finding for the mission 229 00:09:27,750 --> 00:09:26,240 because we now know that enceladus has 230 00:09:29,910 --> 00:09:27,760 almost all 231 00:09:33,509 --> 00:09:29,920 of the ingredients that you would need 232 00:09:35,590 --> 00:09:33,519 to support life as we know it on earth 233 00:09:38,070 --> 00:09:35,600 well here i have a model of the cassini 234 00:09:39,269 --> 00:09:38,080 spacecraft and hunter maybe you can show 235 00:09:41,670 --> 00:09:39,279 us where your instrument is that 236 00:09:44,150 --> 00:09:41,680 detected the hydrogen yes linda 237 00:09:45,750 --> 00:09:44,160 the ions instrument the ion neutral mass 238 00:09:48,710 --> 00:09:45,760 spectrometer is sitting on the fields 239 00:09:51,350 --> 00:09:48,720 and particle platform right here and it 240 00:09:53,269 --> 00:09:51,360 directly samples the gas that comes in 241 00:09:54,949 --> 00:09:53,279 as we fly through the plume 242 00:09:57,110 --> 00:09:54,959 as opposed to an ultraviolet 243 00:09:59,110 --> 00:09:57,120 spectrometer an infrared spectrometer 244 00:10:02,150 --> 00:09:59,120 which would look for scattered 245 00:10:04,550 --> 00:10:02,160 absorbed or emitted light coming from 246 00:10:08,790 --> 00:10:04,560 the molecules in a in a faraway lake 247 00:10:11,350 --> 00:10:08,800 location so this sampling is extremely 248 00:10:12,870 --> 00:10:11,360 important for detecting tray species and 249 00:10:14,949 --> 00:10:12,880 we were able to 250 00:10:17,430 --> 00:10:14,959 from previous flybys and previous 251 00:10:18,550 --> 00:10:17,440 measurements find out that the plume is 252 00:10:19,829 --> 00:10:18,560 98 253 00:10:20,870 --> 00:10:19,839 water 254 00:10:22,949 --> 00:10:20,880 it has 255 00:10:25,750 --> 00:10:22,959 traces of ammonia 256 00:10:27,350 --> 00:10:25,760 carbon dioxide and methane as well as 257 00:10:30,389 --> 00:10:27,360 some organics 258 00:10:32,870 --> 00:10:30,399 now the part that had been elusive to it 259 00:10:34,630 --> 00:10:32,880 before was the hydrogen 260 00:10:37,750 --> 00:10:34,640 and so let me 261 00:10:39,829 --> 00:10:37,760 back off here and pick up a 262 00:10:42,870 --> 00:10:39,839 similar model 263 00:10:46,630 --> 00:10:42,880 we have a simulation here of in the 264 00:10:49,190 --> 00:10:46,640 enceladus and the tiger stripes and so 265 00:10:51,269 --> 00:10:49,200 let me fly my spacecraft 266 00:10:53,350 --> 00:10:51,279 with the ims pointed in the direction of 267 00:10:54,870 --> 00:10:53,360 motion of the spacecraft through the 268 00:10:57,990 --> 00:10:54,880 plume material 269 00:11:00,230 --> 00:10:58,000 sampling the gas this is how it happened 270 00:11:02,870 --> 00:11:00,240 when we were making measurements it was 271 00:11:06,790 --> 00:11:02,880 about 8 kilometers above the surface and 272 00:11:09,350 --> 00:11:06,800 this happened in october of 2015. 273 00:11:11,110 --> 00:11:09,360 it's interesting to put this together 274 00:11:12,829 --> 00:11:11,120 with the other measures measurements 275 00:11:15,750 --> 00:11:12,839 we've made of the diff of the 276 00:11:17,750 --> 00:11:15,760 composition to try to draw some infra 277 00:11:19,430 --> 00:11:17,760 inferences about what's going on in the 278 00:11:21,990 --> 00:11:19,440 interior of the ocean because this 279 00:11:23,190 --> 00:11:22,000 material is telling us about composition 280 00:11:25,030 --> 00:11:23,200 of the ocean 281 00:11:27,190 --> 00:11:25,040 well hunter what was going through your 282 00:11:28,550 --> 00:11:27,200 head when you looked at the data and you 283 00:11:30,389 --> 00:11:28,560 saw hydrogen 284 00:11:32,150 --> 00:11:30,399 well of course we were very excited 285 00:11:33,990 --> 00:11:32,160 because we've been planning this for 286 00:11:36,790 --> 00:11:34,000 quite a while and we've been thinking 287 00:11:39,590 --> 00:11:36,800 about what possible implications might 288 00:11:41,190 --> 00:11:39,600 be so for to discuss that let me turn 289 00:11:42,550 --> 00:11:41,200 over to chris and let him talk a little 290 00:11:44,790 --> 00:11:42,560 bit about that 291 00:11:47,030 --> 00:11:44,800 well linda our team considered numerous 292 00:11:49,269 --> 00:11:47,040 possibilities and after performing 293 00:11:51,110 --> 00:11:49,279 detailed geometrical analysis 294 00:11:52,550 --> 00:11:51,120 we found that the best explanation is 295 00:11:55,190 --> 00:11:52,560 that the hydrogen is produced by 296 00:11:57,590 --> 00:11:55,200 chemical reactions between warm water 297 00:12:00,790 --> 00:11:57,600 and rocks here's a graphic showing what 298 00:12:04,949 --> 00:12:02,870 we think that hydrothermal fluids are 299 00:12:06,150 --> 00:12:04,959 circulating below the ocean floor on 300 00:12:09,430 --> 00:12:06,160 enceladus 301 00:12:12,389 --> 00:12:09,440 this exposes rocks to warm water which 302 00:12:14,470 --> 00:12:12,399 drives geochemical transformations an 303 00:12:16,310 --> 00:12:14,480 important process that produces huge 304 00:12:18,069 --> 00:12:16,320 amounts of hydrogen is called 305 00:12:19,910 --> 00:12:18,079 serpentinization 306 00:12:22,470 --> 00:12:19,920 in this process certain minerals that 307 00:12:24,710 --> 00:12:22,480 are rich in iron react with water to 308 00:12:27,110 --> 00:12:24,720 form new minerals and hydrogen is 309 00:12:29,509 --> 00:12:27,120 produced 310 00:12:32,870 --> 00:12:29,519 this is important because it shows that 311 00:12:34,710 --> 00:12:32,880 the geochemistry acts on enceladus 312 00:12:36,949 --> 00:12:34,720 in addition to this we think that these 313 00:12:38,790 --> 00:12:36,959 warm hydrothermal fluids contain 314 00:12:41,269 --> 00:12:38,800 dissolved minerals and when these 315 00:12:44,629 --> 00:12:41,279 minerals mix with the ocean water which 316 00:12:46,150 --> 00:12:44,639 is cold mineral precipitates form at the 317 00:12:48,949 --> 00:12:46,160 sea floor 318 00:12:51,670 --> 00:12:48,959 these mineral precipitates on the earth 319 00:12:53,910 --> 00:12:51,680 form white solids so we call them white 320 00:12:55,990 --> 00:12:53,920 smokers 321 00:12:58,069 --> 00:12:56,000 here's a video showing an example of one 322 00:13:00,629 --> 00:12:58,079 of these systems on enceladus 323 00:13:02,629 --> 00:13:00,639 i mean on the earth we don't know if the 324 00:13:04,870 --> 00:13:02,639 systems on enceladus look like this but 325 00:13:07,670 --> 00:13:04,880 this is an example from the earth 326 00:13:09,990 --> 00:13:07,680 these vents on the earth support teeming 327 00:13:12,949 --> 00:13:10,000 communities of organisms anchored by 328 00:13:15,430 --> 00:13:12,959 microbes that feed on chemical energy 329 00:13:17,910 --> 00:13:15,440 rather than sunlight an important 330 00:13:20,470 --> 00:13:17,920 reaction at the base of the food chain 331 00:13:22,949 --> 00:13:20,480 is called methanogenesis this is where 332 00:13:25,509 --> 00:13:22,959 microbes combine hydrogen with carbon 333 00:13:27,829 --> 00:13:25,519 dioxide to make methane and they get a 334 00:13:30,150 --> 00:13:27,839 jolt of energy out of the process 335 00:13:32,949 --> 00:13:30,160 they use this energy to synthesize some 336 00:13:34,790 --> 00:13:32,959 of their complex biomolecules such as 337 00:13:36,550 --> 00:13:34,800 sugar molecules 338 00:13:39,190 --> 00:13:36,560 what is intriguing about the data at 339 00:13:41,190 --> 00:13:39,200 enceladus with the hydrogen detection 340 00:13:43,430 --> 00:13:41,200 is that we are now able to determine how 341 00:13:46,870 --> 00:13:43,440 much energy would be available from the 342 00:13:49,509 --> 00:13:46,880 methanogenesis reaction at enceladus 343 00:13:51,030 --> 00:13:49,519 we have made the first calorie count in 344 00:13:53,190 --> 00:13:51,040 an alien ocean 345 00:13:55,829 --> 00:13:53,200 this is a key step towards understanding 346 00:13:57,269 --> 00:13:55,839 the habitability of enceladus 347 00:13:59,990 --> 00:13:57,279 well chris do you think there could be 348 00:14:01,910 --> 00:14:00,000 microbes or even shrimp in the ocean on 349 00:14:04,550 --> 00:14:01,920 enceladus why that would be wonderful 350 00:14:06,949 --> 00:14:04,560 linda but we haven't discovered evidence 351 00:14:07,750 --> 00:14:06,959 of organisms on enceladus 352 00:14:10,069 --> 00:14:07,760 but 353 00:14:13,030 --> 00:14:10,079 i'm encouraged by the geochemical data 354 00:14:14,790 --> 00:14:13,040 which could allow for this possibility 355 00:14:17,509 --> 00:14:14,800 well thank you very much hunter thank 356 00:14:20,629 --> 00:14:17,519 you chris well when cassini was first 357 00:14:23,110 --> 00:14:20,639 built we never thought we would see an 358 00:14:24,230 --> 00:14:23,120 active ocean world like enceladus at 359 00:14:26,949 --> 00:14:24,240 saturn 360 00:14:29,509 --> 00:14:26,959 so cassini can look for habitability but 361 00:14:32,230 --> 00:14:29,519 we don't have the instruments to look 362 00:14:34,550 --> 00:14:32,240 for life we've come as far as we can go 363 00:14:37,110 --> 00:14:34,560 so it remains for a future mission to 364 00:14:39,030 --> 00:14:37,120 detect life at enceladus 365 00:14:41,509 --> 00:14:39,040 and the cassini team is so excited about 366 00:14:44,949 --> 00:14:41,519 these new findings and so mary why don't 367 00:14:46,230 --> 00:14:44,959 you put this in a broader context for us 368 00:14:48,150 --> 00:14:46,240 thank you linda 369 00:14:50,710 --> 00:14:48,160 well first of all chris i recognize that 370 00:14:53,189 --> 00:14:50,720 footage from one of the nasa researchers 371 00:14:54,790 --> 00:14:53,199 chris german uh exploring the east 372 00:14:56,829 --> 00:14:54,800 pacific rise which was actually a 373 00:15:00,310 --> 00:14:56,839 hydrothermal system very close to the 374 00:15:03,590 --> 00:15:00,320 original uh observation 40 years ago at 375 00:15:06,230 --> 00:15:03,600 the galapagos rift 376 00:15:07,829 --> 00:15:06,240 so while we don't understand what the 377 00:15:09,990 --> 00:15:07,839 structures would be and there may be no 378 00:15:12,310 --> 00:15:10,000 way for us to tell remotely until we 379 00:15:13,990 --> 00:15:12,320 actually get into these oceans certainly 380 00:15:15,829 --> 00:15:14,000 this finding suggests that there's a 381 00:15:18,470 --> 00:15:15,839 significant amount of hydrothermal 382 00:15:19,990 --> 00:15:18,480 activity to produce such a strong signal 383 00:15:23,189 --> 00:15:20,000 of hydrogen 384 00:15:26,230 --> 00:15:23,199 and this hydrogen is a good source of 385 00:15:27,829 --> 00:15:26,240 chemical energy to support life now what 386 00:15:29,670 --> 00:15:27,839 else have we been thinking about that 387 00:15:32,069 --> 00:15:29,680 life needs so i have a figure here to go 388 00:15:35,189 --> 00:15:32,079 over sort of the triad of what we need 389 00:15:37,350 --> 00:15:35,199 for life so can i have the figure please 390 00:15:39,430 --> 00:15:37,360 so of course you know that we need water 391 00:15:40,710 --> 00:15:39,440 and here we are at ocean worlds so we 392 00:15:43,189 --> 00:15:40,720 have the water 393 00:15:45,670 --> 00:15:43,199 we need chemical elements that can make 394 00:15:47,430 --> 00:15:45,680 the building blocks that go into making 395 00:15:49,829 --> 00:15:47,440 cells and provide 396 00:15:52,550 --> 00:15:49,839 molecules for metabolism we need carbon 397 00:15:54,230 --> 00:15:52,560 hydrogen nitrogen oxygen phosphorus and 398 00:15:56,790 --> 00:15:54,240 sulfur which are down in the lower left 399 00:15:59,269 --> 00:15:56,800 of the triangle and here we get to check 400 00:16:01,990 --> 00:15:59,279 off another box we have found energy to 401 00:16:04,310 --> 00:16:02,000 support life hydrogen gas provides that 402 00:16:06,629 --> 00:16:04,320 energy now all we need is to see if 403 00:16:08,470 --> 00:16:06,639 enceladus had enough time or any of the 404 00:16:11,910 --> 00:16:08,480 other systems in the saturn in her 405 00:16:13,910 --> 00:16:11,920 jovian world had enough time to evolve 406 00:16:16,470 --> 00:16:13,920 life and have life 407 00:16:18,710 --> 00:16:16,480 make its imprint on its ocean 408 00:16:20,389 --> 00:16:18,720 so now we have a another observation 409 00:16:22,550 --> 00:16:20,399 that kind of connects the world and is 410 00:16:24,629 --> 00:16:22,560 related to what we just heard about and 411 00:16:26,870 --> 00:16:24,639 jim's going to tell you about this 412 00:16:29,030 --> 00:16:26,880 so indeed the next discovery we want to 413 00:16:31,030 --> 00:16:29,040 talk about which is also coming out this 414 00:16:33,509 --> 00:16:31,040 week in our science journals 415 00:16:35,990 --> 00:16:33,519 is from the hubble space telescope that 416 00:16:38,310 --> 00:16:36,000 famous telescope that just keeps on 417 00:16:39,990 --> 00:16:38,320 making wonderful observations has 418 00:16:42,550 --> 00:16:40,000 actually been observing 419 00:16:44,470 --> 00:16:42,560 europa for many years 420 00:16:47,430 --> 00:16:44,480 so let's go to goddard space flight 421 00:16:49,509 --> 00:16:47,440 center and talk to william sparks bill 422 00:16:53,670 --> 00:16:49,519 give us a little background on what we 423 00:16:59,189 --> 00:16:56,389 europa is one of the four major moons of 424 00:17:01,829 --> 00:16:59,199 jupiter it's about the same size as our 425 00:17:04,949 --> 00:17:01,839 own moon but it looks very different 426 00:17:07,110 --> 00:17:04,959 it's got a smooth bright white surface 427 00:17:08,710 --> 00:17:07,120 covered in these dark cracks and red 428 00:17:10,789 --> 00:17:08,720 patches 429 00:17:13,189 --> 00:17:10,799 the reason for that and what makes 430 00:17:15,429 --> 00:17:13,199 europas incredibly interesting 431 00:17:18,630 --> 00:17:15,439 is that it's thought to be engulfed by a 432 00:17:20,630 --> 00:17:18,640 global ocean under a thick crust of ice 433 00:17:22,390 --> 00:17:20,640 in fact it's got twice as much ocean as 434 00:17:25,350 --> 00:17:22,400 planet earth 435 00:17:27,110 --> 00:17:25,360 if we have a salty ocean in contact with 436 00:17:29,510 --> 00:17:27,120 a rocky core 437 00:17:31,590 --> 00:17:29,520 and energy from a variety of sources as 438 00:17:33,750 --> 00:17:31,600 we just heard from mary we have many of 439 00:17:38,630 --> 00:17:33,760 the ingredients thought to be necessary 440 00:17:42,549 --> 00:17:40,230 your observations from hubble what are 441 00:17:46,549 --> 00:17:42,559 you now seeing that's important to our 442 00:17:49,590 --> 00:17:46,559 understanding of habitability on europa 443 00:17:52,070 --> 00:17:49,600 in 2014 we used the hubble and 444 00:17:54,390 --> 00:17:52,080 detected evidence of what are probably 445 00:17:56,710 --> 00:17:54,400 water vapor plumes emerging from the 446 00:17:59,190 --> 00:17:56,720 surface of europa that's important 447 00:18:01,270 --> 00:17:59,200 because it could be giving us access to 448 00:18:03,270 --> 00:18:01,280 surface liquid water without having to 449 00:18:05,110 --> 00:18:03,280 drill through miles of ice 450 00:18:06,710 --> 00:18:05,120 in 2016 451 00:18:07,909 --> 00:18:06,720 the new observations that we're just 452 00:18:10,230 --> 00:18:07,919 publishing 453 00:18:12,549 --> 00:18:10,240 we saw a similar candidate almost 454 00:18:15,669 --> 00:18:12,559 identical in appearance and at the 455 00:18:18,630 --> 00:18:15,679 identical location to one of the 20 40 456 00:18:20,710 --> 00:18:18,640 candidates it's very important uh in an 457 00:18:22,710 --> 00:18:20,720 intermittent phenomenon to establish 458 00:18:25,270 --> 00:18:22,720 repeatability it gives us a lot more 459 00:18:27,029 --> 00:18:25,280 faith in the observation 460 00:18:29,029 --> 00:18:27,039 the other thing it allows us to do given 461 00:18:31,430 --> 00:18:29,039 the position of europa uh given the 462 00:18:32,549 --> 00:18:31,440 position of the candidate on europa uh 463 00:18:34,710 --> 00:18:32,559 is to look 464 00:18:36,789 --> 00:18:34,720 with more fidelity at that position and 465 00:18:39,510 --> 00:18:36,799 see what else we can find there if we 466 00:18:41,270 --> 00:18:39,520 just look at the map of europa uh we 467 00:18:43,909 --> 00:18:41,280 don't see anything particularly 468 00:18:45,830 --> 00:18:43,919 remarkable the exact location of the 469 00:18:47,029 --> 00:18:45,840 plume candidate shown by the green 470 00:18:49,830 --> 00:18:47,039 ellipse 471 00:18:52,630 --> 00:18:49,840 but if we look back to the galileo data 472 00:18:54,150 --> 00:18:52,640 galileo in the 1990s published a thermal 473 00:18:57,190 --> 00:18:54,160 image and 474 00:18:59,750 --> 00:18:57,200 right at the peak of the thermal image 475 00:19:02,470 --> 00:18:59,760 that's where the plume candidate is 476 00:19:05,190 --> 00:19:02,480 this uh hot spot on the surface of 477 00:19:06,950 --> 00:19:05,200 europa on the europa night side was 478 00:19:09,909 --> 00:19:06,960 identified at the time as a thermal 479 00:19:13,270 --> 00:19:09,919 anomaly and it's sitting right on top of 480 00:19:16,390 --> 00:19:13,280 the position of our plume candidate 481 00:19:18,870 --> 00:19:16,400 bill wow that's fantastic 482 00:19:21,669 --> 00:19:18,880 you know we didn't know when galileo was 483 00:19:24,630 --> 00:19:21,679 flying by europa how the ocean could 484 00:19:27,510 --> 00:19:24,640 possibly communicate with the surface 485 00:19:29,750 --> 00:19:27,520 and now these plumes that hubble may be 486 00:19:32,549 --> 00:19:29,760 observing is giving us that tantalizing 487 00:19:35,029 --> 00:19:32,559 glimpse something exactly what we see on 488 00:19:38,230 --> 00:19:35,039 enceladus may be going on can you tell 489 00:19:40,230 --> 00:19:38,240 us a little more about how these plumes 490 00:19:42,390 --> 00:19:40,240 and that hot spot might relate to each 491 00:19:44,470 --> 00:19:42,400 other 492 00:19:46,470 --> 00:19:44,480 uh yes jim it's it's it's really 493 00:19:48,789 --> 00:19:46,480 intriguing it was quite astonishing in 494 00:19:50,470 --> 00:19:48,799 fact just to see the coincidence of the 495 00:19:51,430 --> 00:19:50,480 two 496 00:19:53,029 --> 00:19:51,440 but 497 00:19:55,270 --> 00:19:53,039 it wasn't an accident that we looked for 498 00:19:58,070 --> 00:19:55,280 the thermal imaging uh we did it by 499 00:19:59,669 --> 00:19:58,080 analogy within itself as as we all know 500 00:20:01,750 --> 00:19:59,679 as you know and the other people here 501 00:20:03,590 --> 00:20:01,760 know uh the plumes of enceladus are 502 00:20:05,669 --> 00:20:03,600 associated with a heat source and it's 503 00:20:07,350 --> 00:20:05,679 very distinctive signature and so we 504 00:20:09,909 --> 00:20:07,360 looked to see if we could find thermal 505 00:20:12,630 --> 00:20:09,919 imaging of the surface of europa and we 506 00:20:14,310 --> 00:20:12,640 did and the peak hottest point in the 507 00:20:16,390 --> 00:20:14,320 europa night side was right where our 508 00:20:18,789 --> 00:20:16,400 plume candidate is there's two like 509 00:20:21,110 --> 00:20:18,799 there's two possible explanations for a 510 00:20:23,110 --> 00:20:21,120 causal connection obviously coincidences 511 00:20:24,789 --> 00:20:23,120 could just occur but there are reasons 512 00:20:25,990 --> 00:20:24,799 to think there could be a causal 513 00:20:28,070 --> 00:20:26,000 relationship 514 00:20:29,990 --> 00:20:28,080 one possibility is if 515 00:20:31,110 --> 00:20:30,000 there's liquid water at the depth below 516 00:20:33,430 --> 00:20:31,120 the ice 517 00:20:34,950 --> 00:20:33,440 surface and the liquid water is 518 00:20:37,190 --> 00:20:34,960 obviously warmer than the surface the 519 00:20:39,029 --> 00:20:37,200 heat can flow up through the ice and 520 00:20:41,270 --> 00:20:39,039 cause a thermal anomaly and cracks in 521 00:20:44,230 --> 00:20:41,280 the ice could give us the plumes 522 00:20:45,909 --> 00:20:44,240 conversely the plumes themselves could 523 00:20:48,390 --> 00:20:45,919 simply be venting 524 00:20:50,630 --> 00:20:48,400 water vapor high into space 525 00:20:53,909 --> 00:20:50,640 from the europa surface we see plumes 526 00:20:55,750 --> 00:20:53,919 rising to a 100 kilometers 60 miles 527 00:20:58,630 --> 00:20:55,760 and we would expect the water vapor to 528 00:20:59,750 --> 00:20:58,640 spread out over a much bigger area than 529 00:21:01,510 --> 00:20:59,760 that 530 00:21:03,990 --> 00:21:01,520 we're not at escape velocity so it's got 531 00:21:05,990 --> 00:21:04,000 to come back down if a fine mist of 532 00:21:08,310 --> 00:21:06,000 water vapor rains back down onto the 533 00:21:10,390 --> 00:21:08,320 surface then it can change the thermal 534 00:21:13,190 --> 00:21:10,400 character of that surface and allow it 535 00:21:14,789 --> 00:21:13,200 to retain heat longer and so instead of 536 00:21:19,029 --> 00:21:14,799 heat coming up from below it could be 537 00:21:21,430 --> 00:21:19,039 heat from above being slowly re-radiated 538 00:21:23,110 --> 00:21:21,440 during the europa night time 539 00:21:25,669 --> 00:21:23,120 and so it's a very intriguing pair of 540 00:21:27,270 --> 00:21:25,679 results we discovered a repeating plume 541 00:21:29,190 --> 00:21:27,280 candidate and when we looked at the 542 00:21:31,430 --> 00:21:29,200 galileo data we found the position of 543 00:21:33,029 --> 00:21:31,440 that repeating plume candidate that was 544 00:21:35,510 --> 00:21:33,039 right at the position of a thermal 545 00:21:37,430 --> 00:21:35,520 anomaly we look forward to the europa 546 00:21:38,950 --> 00:21:37,440 clipper mission which jim is going to 547 00:21:40,950 --> 00:21:38,960 tell us about and 548 00:21:44,230 --> 00:21:40,960 that will characterize this and other 549 00:21:46,230 --> 00:21:44,240 areas in great detail 550 00:21:48,789 --> 00:21:46,240 you know the cassini observations that 551 00:21:51,110 --> 00:21:48,799 enceladus and the hubble observations at 552 00:21:53,750 --> 00:21:51,120 europa tells you you we're using 553 00:21:56,310 --> 00:21:53,760 everything in our arsenal to probe these 554 00:21:59,510 --> 00:21:56,320 new ocean worlds that we've discovered 555 00:22:03,029 --> 00:21:59,520 this is truly a really exciting time 556 00:22:05,190 --> 00:22:03,039 cassini unfortunately is near its end uh 557 00:22:07,430 --> 00:22:05,200 it will be uh plunged into the 558 00:22:10,310 --> 00:22:07,440 atmosphere of saturn it's running out of 559 00:22:12,950 --> 00:22:10,320 fuel on the 15th of september and so 560 00:22:15,430 --> 00:22:12,960 these indeed are the last discoveries 561 00:22:17,990 --> 00:22:15,440 that we're talking about from cassini as 562 00:22:19,830 --> 00:22:18,000 it relates to enceladus 563 00:22:22,549 --> 00:22:19,840 the next big mission that we're working 564 00:22:25,750 --> 00:22:22,559 on is called the europa clipper and this 565 00:22:28,390 --> 00:22:25,760 particular mission is going to enceladus 566 00:22:30,630 --> 00:22:28,400 it has nine major instruments on it and 567 00:22:34,549 --> 00:22:30,640 these discoveries are coming at just the 568 00:22:37,430 --> 00:22:34,559 perfect time it enables us to make the 569 00:22:40,710 --> 00:22:37,440 right set of observations that can tell 570 00:22:42,630 --> 00:22:40,720 us much more about these ocean worlds 571 00:22:44,230 --> 00:22:42,640 europa in particular 572 00:22:45,750 --> 00:22:44,240 can i have my 573 00:22:48,070 --> 00:22:45,760 video please 574 00:22:52,950 --> 00:22:48,080 the europa clipper will orbit jupiter 575 00:22:55,830 --> 00:22:52,960 but it makes very close flybys of europa 576 00:22:57,669 --> 00:22:55,840 it has instruments like the magnetometer 577 00:22:59,029 --> 00:22:57,679 once again that will make measurements 578 00:23:02,470 --> 00:22:59,039 of its ocean 579 00:23:05,270 --> 00:23:02,480 it also has an ice penetrating radar 580 00:23:08,789 --> 00:23:05,280 this radar will tell us how thick or 581 00:23:11,909 --> 00:23:08,799 thin these ice shelves are and how close 582 00:23:14,070 --> 00:23:11,919 then the ocean might be to cracks 583 00:23:15,029 --> 00:23:14,080 the next major instrument that it has is 584 00:23:17,430 --> 00:23:15,039 thermal 585 00:23:20,870 --> 00:23:17,440 imaging going back to what we learned 586 00:23:23,750 --> 00:23:20,880 from enceladus how hot are these areas 587 00:23:26,470 --> 00:23:23,760 are there cracks there like we see now 588 00:23:29,750 --> 00:23:26,480 with the plumes from uh the hubble 589 00:23:32,710 --> 00:23:29,760 observations and the hot spots still 590 00:23:35,590 --> 00:23:32,720 being hot from galileo observations more 591 00:23:38,789 --> 00:23:35,600 than 15 or so years ago 592 00:23:41,110 --> 00:23:38,799 in addition to that we have a uv 593 00:23:44,070 --> 00:23:41,120 spectrometer this imager is going to be 594 00:23:45,990 --> 00:23:44,080 the plume finder so as we go back and 595 00:23:47,909 --> 00:23:46,000 orbit out away from jupiter we're going 596 00:23:50,070 --> 00:23:47,919 to look back at enceladus we're going to 597 00:23:52,789 --> 00:23:50,080 be looking for those plumes and then 598 00:23:54,950 --> 00:23:52,799 diving back in and hopefully if 599 00:23:58,470 --> 00:23:54,960 everything works right flying through 600 00:24:01,190 --> 00:23:58,480 the plumes much like cassini has done 601 00:24:03,750 --> 00:24:01,200 at enceladus but now we'll have the 602 00:24:06,070 --> 00:24:03,760 right set of observations to make on 603 00:24:07,750 --> 00:24:06,080 that spacecraft the europa clipper will 604 00:24:10,870 --> 00:24:07,760 have an advanced 605 00:24:13,269 --> 00:24:10,880 mass spectrometer actually hunter weight 606 00:24:15,830 --> 00:24:13,279 is our principal scientist or principal 607 00:24:18,390 --> 00:24:15,840 investigator for that instrument 608 00:24:21,110 --> 00:24:18,400 so what a fantastic time 609 00:24:22,549 --> 00:24:21,120 coming up these observations are really 610 00:24:25,029 --> 00:24:22,559 informing us 611 00:24:26,870 --> 00:24:25,039 of major things happening in these ocean 612 00:24:29,510 --> 00:24:26,880 worlds right now 613 00:24:32,310 --> 00:24:29,520 what i really want you to walk away with 614 00:24:34,870 --> 00:24:32,320 is we're pushing the frontiers we're 615 00:24:37,510 --> 00:24:34,880 finding new environments 616 00:24:39,750 --> 00:24:37,520 we're looking in a way that we've never 617 00:24:43,269 --> 00:24:39,760 thought possible before 618 00:24:45,269 --> 00:24:43,279 for environments in our solar system 619 00:24:46,470 --> 00:24:45,279 which may harbor life 620 00:24:49,909 --> 00:24:46,480 today 621 00:24:51,830 --> 00:24:49,919 with that let me give it back to felicia 622 00:24:54,149 --> 00:24:51,840 thanks jim now we're going to go into 623 00:24:56,230 --> 00:24:54,159 our q a session for those joining us 624 00:24:58,710 --> 00:24:56,240 online please submit a question using 625 00:24:59,990 --> 00:24:58,720 the hashtag asknasa 626 00:25:01,510 --> 00:25:00,000 for those in the room if you'd like to 627 00:25:03,430 --> 00:25:01,520 ask a question please raise your hand 628 00:25:04,789 --> 00:25:03,440 and a mic will be passed to you and if 629 00:25:06,390 --> 00:25:04,799 you're pressed please state your name 630 00:25:08,149 --> 00:25:06,400 and affiliation 631 00:25:11,909 --> 00:25:08,159 so let's start with questions from the 632 00:25:15,190 --> 00:25:13,590 okay well before we go to questions from 633 00:25:17,590 --> 00:25:15,200 the room let's go ahead to the phone 634 00:25:21,590 --> 00:25:17,600 lines first we have camille carlisle 635 00:25:24,390 --> 00:25:21,600 from the sky and telescope magazine 636 00:25:25,430 --> 00:25:24,400 hi can you hear me yes 637 00:25:27,269 --> 00:25:25,440 okay 638 00:25:29,830 --> 00:25:27,279 thanks to my call 639 00:25:31,990 --> 00:25:29,840 two questions one you mentioned that we 640 00:25:33,190 --> 00:25:32,000 essentially have a calorie count now 641 00:25:35,350 --> 00:25:33,200 with the tire 642 00:25:38,070 --> 00:25:35,360 just how much energy is available can 643 00:25:40,390 --> 00:25:38,080 you put some sort of detail on that 644 00:25:42,230 --> 00:25:40,400 and this is a logistics question maybe i 645 00:25:44,390 --> 00:25:42,240 missed it is there a website for all the 646 00:25:45,830 --> 00:25:44,400 press images that we can go to and and 647 00:25:47,750 --> 00:25:45,840 get them 648 00:25:49,990 --> 00:25:47,760 so felicia can you tell us the press 649 00:25:51,510 --> 00:25:50,000 site and we'll go to jpl to get the 650 00:25:53,269 --> 00:25:51,520 calorie count 651 00:25:54,789 --> 00:25:53,279 so if you want more information about 652 00:25:56,510 --> 00:25:54,799 everything we've talked about today 653 00:25:58,870 --> 00:25:56,520 definitely go to 654 00:26:00,470 --> 00:25:58,880 www.nasa.gov our press release will be 655 00:26:02,149 --> 00:26:00,480 on that page and that will link to 656 00:26:03,990 --> 00:26:02,159 additional materials 657 00:26:05,830 --> 00:26:04,000 i believe by going to the jpl saturn 658 00:26:07,510 --> 00:26:05,840 page also there's materials so please 659 00:26:09,350 --> 00:26:07,520 just go to the two pages that were just 660 00:26:11,269 --> 00:26:09,360 on the screen earlier and you should be 661 00:26:12,630 --> 00:26:11,279 able to get the materials you need and i 662 00:26:18,870 --> 00:26:12,640 guess uh for the second part of the 663 00:26:23,190 --> 00:26:20,630 that's an excellent question the plume 664 00:26:26,310 --> 00:26:23,200 gas mixture from the hydrogen number we 665 00:26:37,990 --> 00:26:26,320 derived is equivalent to roughly 300 666 00:26:46,149 --> 00:26:39,909 next uh we have on the phone lines we 667 00:26:50,470 --> 00:26:48,470 hi thanks very much for having this call 668 00:26:52,390 --> 00:26:50,480 i was questioned about the plume 669 00:26:54,870 --> 00:26:52,400 evidence europa 670 00:26:57,110 --> 00:26:54,880 you said you found it in 2014 in 2016 671 00:26:58,789 --> 00:26:57,120 this evidence of water plumes 672 00:27:00,230 --> 00:26:58,799 how many times did you look 673 00:27:01,909 --> 00:27:00,240 and was it not there and i guess what 674 00:27:04,950 --> 00:27:01,919 i'm trying to get at is there any sense 675 00:27:07,269 --> 00:27:04,960 of how intermittent this plume might be 676 00:27:09,669 --> 00:27:07,279 if it does indeed exist 677 00:27:12,630 --> 00:27:09,679 of course bill now has been on the uh a 678 00:27:17,269 --> 00:27:12,640 number of major observations from hubble 679 00:27:22,230 --> 00:27:18,470 uh yes 680 00:27:24,950 --> 00:27:22,240 we look 12 times and we saw it twice in 681 00:27:27,590 --> 00:27:24,960 that location we did see 682 00:27:30,950 --> 00:27:27,600 some evidence of plumes around the south 683 00:27:32,870 --> 00:27:30,960 pole polar regions a couple of times too 684 00:27:35,110 --> 00:27:32,880 but it's much harder to 685 00:27:37,269 --> 00:27:35,120 locate 686 00:27:40,149 --> 00:27:37,279 the source when you're down at the polar 687 00:27:42,310 --> 00:27:40,159 region and there isn't any uh coverage 688 00:27:45,190 --> 00:27:42,320 by galileo in that region either so we 689 00:27:48,070 --> 00:27:45,200 were we were lucky to find this one that 690 00:27:50,630 --> 00:27:48,080 did repeat was actually near the equator 691 00:27:53,430 --> 00:27:50,640 and so it was twice out of 12 times one 692 00:27:56,310 --> 00:27:54,789 would you care to characterize how 693 00:27:58,230 --> 00:27:56,320 confident you are these are actually 694 00:27:59,750 --> 00:27:58,240 plumes 695 00:28:01,029 --> 00:27:59,760 yeah 696 00:28:11,990 --> 00:28:01,039 uh 697 00:28:14,549 --> 00:28:12,000 four sigma results now that's 698 00:28:15,750 --> 00:28:14,559 not quite as uh 699 00:28:18,230 --> 00:28:15,760 strong 700 00:28:19,510 --> 00:28:18,240 evidences you'd really like you'd prefer 701 00:28:21,510 --> 00:28:19,520 it to be 702 00:28:23,110 --> 00:28:21,520 stronger than that because at that level 703 00:28:25,110 --> 00:28:23,120 there's always the possibility that 704 00:28:26,950 --> 00:28:25,120 there's some sort of instrumental effect 705 00:28:31,029 --> 00:28:26,960 that you don't know about 706 00:28:32,470 --> 00:28:31,039 we've covered our cells in terms of 707 00:28:34,470 --> 00:28:32,480 trying to 708 00:28:37,909 --> 00:28:34,480 understand what possible instrumental 709 00:28:39,750 --> 00:28:37,919 effects could have caused this 710 00:28:40,470 --> 00:28:39,760 and every single one that we can think 711 00:28:44,389 --> 00:28:40,480 of 712 00:28:46,230 --> 00:28:44,399 it so for example 713 00:28:48,950 --> 00:28:46,240 the two observations that i showed 714 00:28:51,750 --> 00:28:48,960 although they look the same in the same 715 00:28:54,070 --> 00:28:51,760 position when we project them on the sky 716 00:28:55,830 --> 00:28:54,080 when they were taken with the camera the 717 00:28:58,710 --> 00:28:55,840 hubble was in a completely different 718 00:29:00,630 --> 00:28:58,720 orientation for those two images and so 719 00:29:03,029 --> 00:29:00,640 they're in completely different parts of 720 00:29:05,029 --> 00:29:03,039 the camera uh with the telescope rolled 721 00:29:08,630 --> 00:29:05,039 around at a completely different angle 722 00:29:10,789 --> 00:29:08,640 and that eliminates a a whole bunch of 723 00:29:16,070 --> 00:29:10,799 potential systematics that could cause 724 00:29:17,190 --> 00:29:16,080 it so from the hubble uh perspective um 725 00:29:18,710 --> 00:29:17,200 we're 726 00:29:20,789 --> 00:29:18,720 i wouldn't say it's not completely 727 00:29:22,389 --> 00:29:20,799 unequivocal the way it is with enceladus 728 00:29:23,430 --> 00:29:22,399 we're still at the limits of what hubble 729 00:29:25,750 --> 00:29:23,440 can do 730 00:29:28,310 --> 00:29:25,760 but we're growing in confidence because 731 00:29:30,310 --> 00:29:28,320 of the repeat and because of in my case 732 00:29:31,430 --> 00:29:30,320 at least with i i find the correlation 733 00:29:33,750 --> 00:29:31,440 with the 734 00:29:36,470 --> 00:29:33,760 galileo thermal data quite quite quite 735 00:29:38,549 --> 00:29:36,480 intriguing and quite compelling 736 00:29:41,990 --> 00:29:38,559 you know from my perspective 737 00:29:44,310 --> 00:29:42,000 uh as as bill mentioned these plumes are 738 00:29:47,909 --> 00:29:44,320 up to 50 kilometers and perhaps as high 739 00:29:51,190 --> 00:29:47,919 as a 100 kilometers europa is the size 740 00:29:52,950 --> 00:29:51,200 of our own moon it's an enormous body 741 00:29:55,510 --> 00:29:52,960 and therefore there must be enormous 742 00:29:57,430 --> 00:29:55,520 energy to be able to loft these 743 00:30:00,070 --> 00:29:57,440 potential water 744 00:30:01,190 --> 00:30:00,080 jets high enough for us to be able to 745 00:30:04,149 --> 00:30:01,200 observe it 746 00:30:06,549 --> 00:30:04,159 five astronomical units away it's really 747 00:30:08,950 --> 00:30:06,559 a remarkable set of observations 748 00:30:11,190 --> 00:30:08,960 unfortunately you know it's not as 749 00:30:14,710 --> 00:30:11,200 periodic as the enceladus plumes which 750 00:30:17,830 --> 00:30:14,720 are on all the time and so uh 751 00:30:19,990 --> 00:30:17,840 going back to europa as bill has uh and 752 00:30:22,070 --> 00:30:20,000 his team and looked at it periodically 753 00:30:23,909 --> 00:30:22,080 is really giving us the confidence that 754 00:30:26,470 --> 00:30:23,919 they're there they may not be as 755 00:30:29,190 --> 00:30:26,480 periodic but indeed now it looks like 756 00:30:30,470 --> 00:30:29,200 the water the ocean is communicating 757 00:30:32,710 --> 00:30:30,480 with the surface 758 00:30:35,350 --> 00:30:32,720 bill and his team is also talking about 759 00:30:37,830 --> 00:30:35,360 how they can make more observations 760 00:30:41,669 --> 00:30:37,840 between now and when we do indeed launch 761 00:30:44,070 --> 00:30:41,679 the europa clipper in the 2020s 762 00:30:45,830 --> 00:30:44,080 let's go to the phones 763 00:30:47,750 --> 00:30:45,840 okay well before we go to the phones 764 00:30:50,230 --> 00:30:47,760 let's go ahead to social media where 765 00:30:51,110 --> 00:30:50,240 emily is helping field the questions so 766 00:30:52,950 --> 00:30:51,120 emily 767 00:30:54,789 --> 00:30:52,960 sure we have a lot of good questions 768 00:30:57,430 --> 00:30:54,799 coming in uh this first one is from t 769 00:30:59,430 --> 00:30:57,440 buttini on twitter and she wants to know 770 00:31:00,720 --> 00:30:59,440 are we talking about giant squids or 771 00:31:02,549 --> 00:31:00,730 algae and bacteria 772 00:31:05,029 --> 00:31:02,559 [Laughter] 773 00:31:06,950 --> 00:31:05,039 mary 774 00:31:09,190 --> 00:31:06,960 i think that most of us would be excited 775 00:31:10,950 --> 00:31:09,200 with any life um and we're certainly 776 00:31:13,510 --> 00:31:10,960 when we're talking about the sources of 777 00:31:15,430 --> 00:31:13,520 energy this is to feed the base of a 778 00:31:17,430 --> 00:31:15,440 food web so we're going to start with 779 00:31:19,909 --> 00:31:17,440 bacteria and if we get lucky maybe 780 00:31:21,590 --> 00:31:19,919 there's something that's larger 781 00:31:23,909 --> 00:31:21,600 you know i think what's really also 782 00:31:26,230 --> 00:31:23,919 exciting about these discoveries 783 00:31:30,149 --> 00:31:26,240 is these ocean worlds with the with 784 00:31:33,190 --> 00:31:30,159 their uh a protective uh outer shell if 785 00:31:36,070 --> 00:31:33,200 indeed there's life in there it it has 786 00:31:39,110 --> 00:31:36,080 to be completely different than ours in 787 00:31:41,190 --> 00:31:39,120 the sense that it's generated in a way 788 00:31:49,029 --> 00:31:41,200 that's not related to our life we call 789 00:31:53,350 --> 00:31:51,269 uh this second question is from decent 790 00:31:55,029 --> 00:31:53,360 matt sai on twitter and he wants to know 791 00:31:57,110 --> 00:31:55,039 could there be movement of ice 792 00:31:59,110 --> 00:31:57,120 surrounding enceladus driven by ocean 793 00:32:03,029 --> 00:31:59,120 convection currents similar to plate 794 00:32:06,789 --> 00:32:04,789 you know that's a really great question 795 00:32:09,830 --> 00:32:06,799 and the reason why is it was only within 796 00:32:13,750 --> 00:32:09,840 the last couple years that that we have 797 00:32:16,389 --> 00:32:13,760 started to look back at the europa data 798 00:32:18,149 --> 00:32:16,399 uh that has been gathered by galileo you 799 00:32:21,509 --> 00:32:18,159 know galileo only 800 00:32:24,470 --> 00:32:21,519 made like uh 10 or 11 flybys 801 00:32:26,789 --> 00:32:24,480 successfully by europa and so we have 802 00:32:29,430 --> 00:32:26,799 very limited images but there does 803 00:32:31,590 --> 00:32:29,440 appear to be a certain location for 804 00:32:34,710 --> 00:32:31,600 which some sort of subduction is going 805 00:32:36,870 --> 00:32:34,720 on in a crack where one element or plate 806 00:32:39,750 --> 00:32:36,880 of the of that uh 807 00:32:42,310 --> 00:32:39,760 icy shell is moving underneath another 808 00:32:44,870 --> 00:32:42,320 we don't know that that's true it may be 809 00:32:47,350 --> 00:32:44,880 in much greater locations all around 810 00:32:49,269 --> 00:32:47,360 that all around that body but you can 811 00:32:51,990 --> 00:32:49,279 understand the stresses when you think 812 00:32:54,070 --> 00:32:52,000 about the tidal forces europa is in an 813 00:32:56,470 --> 00:32:54,080 elliptical orbit 814 00:32:58,310 --> 00:32:56,480 around jupiter and it also has tidal 815 00:33:00,710 --> 00:32:58,320 forces being pushed around by the other 816 00:33:02,870 --> 00:33:00,720 galilean moons and so when it's close to 817 00:33:05,269 --> 00:33:02,880 jupiter gets squeezed and when it's 818 00:33:07,350 --> 00:33:05,279 further away it relaxes 819 00:33:10,630 --> 00:33:07,360 every two and a half to three days as it 820 00:33:12,950 --> 00:33:10,640 makes its orbit it is being squeezed and 821 00:33:16,389 --> 00:33:12,960 released and squeezed and released our 822 00:33:18,950 --> 00:33:16,399 estimate today is that the surface moves 823 00:33:20,710 --> 00:33:18,960 as much as 30 meters you know that's the 824 00:33:24,630 --> 00:33:20,720 height of an eight or nine story 825 00:33:27,269 --> 00:33:24,640 building every every two or three days 826 00:33:29,750 --> 00:33:27,279 that heat it's got to go somewhere and 827 00:33:33,509 --> 00:33:29,760 and the pushing and the stresses on on 828 00:33:35,029 --> 00:33:33,519 the icy shell may indeed uh be like our 829 00:33:36,310 --> 00:33:35,039 plate tectonics 830 00:33:37,430 --> 00:33:36,320 can i add one 831 00:33:39,990 --> 00:33:37,440 thing about it that actually is 832 00:33:42,389 --> 00:33:40,000 important for life so here on earth many 833 00:33:44,070 --> 00:33:42,399 people believe that we wouldn't have 834 00:33:46,070 --> 00:33:44,080 sustained life on earth if it weren't 835 00:33:49,269 --> 00:33:46,080 for plate tectonics oh 836 00:33:51,590 --> 00:33:49,279 and so it that kind of a process is very 837 00:33:53,990 --> 00:33:51,600 important on these icy moons as well 838 00:33:55,669 --> 00:33:54,000 because we think about 839 00:33:57,029 --> 00:33:55,679 we've just heard about some sources of 840 00:33:59,269 --> 00:33:57,039 energy that are coming from the 841 00:34:01,830 --> 00:33:59,279 interaction of the water and the core we 842 00:34:04,470 --> 00:34:01,840 also think on europa there are creations 843 00:34:07,430 --> 00:34:04,480 of oxidants at the surface as a result 844 00:34:10,629 --> 00:34:07,440 of the radiation at the surface and we 845 00:34:13,510 --> 00:34:10,639 need some sort of active shell 846 00:34:16,310 --> 00:34:13,520 a ice tectonics if you will to actually 847 00:34:18,869 --> 00:34:16,320 bring those into contact much like a 848 00:34:20,470 --> 00:34:18,879 battery where you have a positive and a 849 00:34:23,030 --> 00:34:20,480 negative pull 850 00:34:24,710 --> 00:34:23,040 to actually connect to drive life and so 851 00:34:25,750 --> 00:34:24,720 this process is really important for 852 00:34:27,510 --> 00:34:25,760 life 853 00:34:28,710 --> 00:34:27,520 okay well thank you very much we're 854 00:34:30,149 --> 00:34:28,720 going to take one more question to 855 00:34:33,510 --> 00:34:30,159 social media and then we're going to go 856 00:34:35,349 --> 00:34:33,520 to the phone lines so emily sure this 857 00:34:36,950 --> 00:34:35,359 question is from philip on facebook and 858 00:34:38,950 --> 00:34:36,960 he wants to know which moon do you think 859 00:34:41,589 --> 00:34:38,960 offers more possibility of life on it 860 00:34:43,589 --> 00:34:41,599 europa or enceladus 861 00:34:45,589 --> 00:34:43,599 well that's a good good that's a great 862 00:34:47,589 --> 00:34:45,599 question i wish i knew for sure i 863 00:34:49,669 --> 00:34:47,599 haven't i haven't all right mary mary 864 00:34:52,310 --> 00:34:49,679 will give her give it a shot well so i 865 00:34:53,909 --> 00:34:52,320 think that this result of finding um 866 00:34:55,750 --> 00:34:53,919 such a significant amount of 867 00:34:58,390 --> 00:34:55,760 hydrothermal activity and a lot of 868 00:35:01,030 --> 00:34:58,400 hydrogen is incredible it speaks to the 869 00:35:04,310 --> 00:35:01,040 habitability on the other hand it also 870 00:35:06,390 --> 00:35:04,320 the fact that we can measure such 871 00:35:09,030 --> 00:35:06,400 high concentrations of hydrogen and 872 00:35:11,829 --> 00:35:09,040 carbon dioxide means that there might 873 00:35:14,230 --> 00:35:11,839 not be life there at all and if there is 874 00:35:17,910 --> 00:35:14,240 life it's not very active because when 875 00:35:20,230 --> 00:35:17,920 you have those stacks of pizza much like 876 00:35:22,790 --> 00:35:20,240 in a graduate school department it 877 00:35:25,349 --> 00:35:22,800 disappears so we have this build up of 878 00:35:27,510 --> 00:35:25,359 food that's not being used and part of 879 00:35:29,190 --> 00:35:27,520 that could be because we think enceladus 880 00:35:31,109 --> 00:35:29,200 might be fairly young 881 00:35:32,470 --> 00:35:31,119 on the other hand if the same process 882 00:35:34,790 --> 00:35:32,480 which there's no reason to think it 883 00:35:36,710 --> 00:35:34,800 wouldn't be happening on europa we know 884 00:35:38,790 --> 00:35:36,720 that europa and the moons around jupiter 885 00:35:41,270 --> 00:35:38,800 were formed four billion years ago so 886 00:35:42,950 --> 00:35:41,280 that's a lot more time for life to have 887 00:35:46,150 --> 00:35:42,960 emerged and start taking advantage of 888 00:35:47,829 --> 00:35:46,160 these energy sources so my money for the 889 00:35:49,589 --> 00:35:47,839 moment um 890 00:35:51,270 --> 00:35:49,599 is still on europa 891 00:35:53,349 --> 00:35:51,280 uh but this that 892 00:35:55,109 --> 00:35:53,359 but it could be any on any of these 893 00:35:56,829 --> 00:35:55,119 moons and certainly would be great if it 894 00:35:58,390 --> 00:35:56,839 was on in all of 895 00:36:00,150 --> 00:35:58,400 them 896 00:36:02,390 --> 00:36:00,160 well thank you so much 897 00:36:07,030 --> 00:36:02,400 next we have mike wahl from space.com 898 00:36:09,990 --> 00:36:08,390 yep i'm here 899 00:36:12,310 --> 00:36:10,000 thank you guys um this is really 900 00:36:13,990 --> 00:36:12,320 exciting stuff and like i have another 901 00:36:15,430 --> 00:36:14,000 question for actually bill about the 902 00:36:16,470 --> 00:36:15,440 plumes um 903 00:36:20,470 --> 00:36:16,480 so 904 00:36:22,310 --> 00:36:20,480 on this this is not a confirmation that 905 00:36:23,910 --> 00:36:22,320 the plumes exist i mean i know you guys 906 00:36:25,750 --> 00:36:23,920 i keep seeing more and more signs but 907 00:36:28,390 --> 00:36:25,760 you're but you're stopping short of 908 00:36:29,190 --> 00:36:28,400 saying that that they definitely exist 909 00:36:33,910 --> 00:36:29,200 and 910 00:36:36,630 --> 00:36:33,920 same location as as the original 2012 911 00:36:37,750 --> 00:36:36,640 detection or like do the plumes i mean 912 00:36:39,430 --> 00:36:37,760 have they been spotted in multiple 913 00:36:40,790 --> 00:36:39,440 locations 914 00:36:43,109 --> 00:36:40,800 around europa 915 00:36:44,870 --> 00:36:43,119 thank you 916 00:36:47,510 --> 00:36:44,880 yeah let's have bill sparks of course 917 00:36:52,390 --> 00:36:49,430 okay um 918 00:36:55,910 --> 00:36:52,400 it's not completely unequivocal but in 919 00:36:59,190 --> 00:36:55,920 my mind the pendulum has uh swung from 920 00:37:01,349 --> 00:36:59,200 uh caution to optimism 921 00:37:04,470 --> 00:37:01,359 the evidence is growing the fact that we 922 00:37:05,829 --> 00:37:04,480 saw a repeat at the exact same location 923 00:37:07,589 --> 00:37:05,839 that's one of the 924 00:37:09,670 --> 00:37:07,599 gold standards for 925 00:37:11,990 --> 00:37:09,680 dealing with an intermittent phenomenon 926 00:37:13,910 --> 00:37:12,000 it's not proof because we're right at 927 00:37:16,069 --> 00:37:13,920 the limit of what 928 00:37:19,030 --> 00:37:16,079 the hubble can do 929 00:37:21,190 --> 00:37:19,040 it's not completely unequivocal the way 930 00:37:23,670 --> 00:37:21,200 it is on enceladus so on enceladus 931 00:37:25,990 --> 00:37:23,680 you've got movies of the of the plumes 932 00:37:28,390 --> 00:37:26,000 and you've got wonderful maps and uh 933 00:37:30,790 --> 00:37:28,400 temperature maps and mass spectrometer 934 00:37:33,109 --> 00:37:30,800 measurements of the composition uh and 935 00:37:34,950 --> 00:37:33,119 we've got a little smudge uh next to an 936 00:37:37,190 --> 00:37:34,960 image from the hubble and you know it's 937 00:37:38,550 --> 00:37:37,200 a fantastic image and it's but it's 938 00:37:39,510 --> 00:37:38,560 right at the limit of what the hubble 939 00:37:41,990 --> 00:37:39,520 can do 940 00:37:43,910 --> 00:37:42,000 the fact that we've got to repeat uh 941 00:37:46,630 --> 00:37:43,920 tells you that in a formal statistical 942 00:37:48,870 --> 00:37:46,640 sense it can't happen by chance 943 00:37:51,349 --> 00:37:48,880 so we have to look for 944 00:37:53,829 --> 00:37:51,359 systematic effects that might cause it 945 00:37:55,910 --> 00:37:53,839 we don't know of any which is why uh 946 00:37:58,390 --> 00:37:55,920 most of us some of us are leaning 947 00:38:00,150 --> 00:37:58,400 towards thinking that this is uh this 948 00:38:02,230 --> 00:38:00,160 this means they're real 949 00:38:03,030 --> 00:38:02,240 and then the secondary information with 950 00:38:08,870 --> 00:38:03,040 the 951 00:38:11,270 --> 00:38:08,880 imaging that 952 00:38:13,270 --> 00:38:11,280 gives you some additional statistical 953 00:38:14,310 --> 00:38:13,280 evidence that in fact 954 00:38:16,390 --> 00:38:14,320 they're real 955 00:38:18,630 --> 00:38:16,400 it doesn't prove it because you know 956 00:38:19,910 --> 00:38:18,640 unfortunate coincidences can happen in 957 00:38:22,630 --> 00:38:19,920 the world 958 00:38:25,430 --> 00:38:22,640 in terms of the location uh the original 959 00:38:28,710 --> 00:38:25,440 uh detection by the roth team was around 960 00:38:31,670 --> 00:38:28,720 the south polar region uh these are the 961 00:38:33,190 --> 00:38:31,680 dissociation products of water 962 00:38:36,710 --> 00:38:33,200 in 963 00:38:39,910 --> 00:38:36,720 high altitude down around the south pole 964 00:38:41,750 --> 00:38:39,920 and uh in our transit observations where 965 00:38:45,190 --> 00:38:41,760 we were looking for absorbing material 966 00:38:46,630 --> 00:38:45,200 around europa uh we did see a couple of 967 00:38:50,470 --> 00:38:46,640 uh 968 00:38:52,390 --> 00:38:50,480 of features in that in in that area 969 00:38:55,349 --> 00:38:52,400 but it's harder to localize things 970 00:38:57,670 --> 00:38:55,359 around the poles this particular one 971 00:38:59,670 --> 00:38:57,680 was well localized it wasn't quite as 972 00:39:01,349 --> 00:38:59,680 high as the previous one and that's the 973 00:39:05,670 --> 00:39:01,359 one that repeated and so that's really 974 00:39:08,710 --> 00:39:07,109 thank you 975 00:39:11,270 --> 00:39:08,720 there's couple other pieces of evidence 976 00:39:13,510 --> 00:39:11,280 that i think is also really tantalizing 977 00:39:15,190 --> 00:39:13,520 you know when we look at enceladus 978 00:39:17,750 --> 00:39:15,200 particularly around those tiger straps 979 00:39:21,270 --> 00:39:17,760 there's absolutely no craters they're 980 00:39:24,069 --> 00:39:21,280 completely filled in as you go to 981 00:39:24,950 --> 00:39:24,079 the mid-latitudes and up to the north 982 00:39:27,910 --> 00:39:24,960 pole 983 00:39:29,349 --> 00:39:27,920 of enceladus you see you do indeed see a 984 00:39:33,190 --> 00:39:29,359 number of craters 985 00:39:36,150 --> 00:39:33,200 if we look now at europa we can hardly 986 00:39:39,270 --> 00:39:36,160 see any craters this has always been a 987 00:39:42,710 --> 00:39:39,280 big puzzle in terms of how this surface 988 00:39:45,030 --> 00:39:42,720 is morphing eliminating the craters that 989 00:39:48,230 --> 00:39:45,040 must have been there at one time and are 990 00:39:50,150 --> 00:39:48,240 continually bombarding the body but over 991 00:39:52,390 --> 00:39:50,160 the length of time that we've observed 992 00:39:55,190 --> 00:39:52,400 it with the galileo mission those 993 00:39:56,390 --> 00:39:55,200 several years only a handful of craters 994 00:39:59,829 --> 00:39:56,400 were found 995 00:40:01,430 --> 00:39:59,839 the plumes the plume idea that it is 996 00:40:03,270 --> 00:40:01,440 resurfacing 997 00:40:05,190 --> 00:40:03,280 and the subduction 998 00:40:07,910 --> 00:40:05,200 must be connected in a way that is 999 00:40:11,670 --> 00:40:07,920 eliminating those craters so this fits 1000 00:40:15,190 --> 00:40:11,680 perfectly with these observations 1001 00:40:19,910 --> 00:40:17,910 so um next we have two questions on the 1002 00:40:23,270 --> 00:40:19,920 phone line then we're going to go ahead 1003 00:40:25,349 --> 00:40:23,280 and go to social media so the first 1004 00:40:27,750 --> 00:40:25,359 call-in person we have is keith cowing 1005 00:40:29,589 --> 00:40:27,760 from nasa watch keith 1006 00:40:31,190 --> 00:40:29,599 a two-part question for thomas sir 1007 00:40:33,430 --> 00:40:31,200 brooke and first of all 1008 00:40:35,910 --> 00:40:33,440 several years ago nasa was directed to 1009 00:40:37,990 --> 00:40:35,920 create an ocean world's program now i 1010 00:40:40,550 --> 00:40:38,000 see that phrase everywhere but have you 1011 00:40:43,030 --> 00:40:40,560 formally established a program office is 1012 00:40:45,109 --> 00:40:43,040 who's in charge of it what's the budget 1013 00:40:46,790 --> 00:40:45,119 and second of all a question um why is 1014 00:40:49,670 --> 00:40:46,800 it that some news media were given 1015 00:40:52,069 --> 00:40:49,680 advance access to nasa personnel 1016 00:40:55,750 --> 00:40:52,079 on this taxpayer-funded research and 1017 00:40:58,950 --> 00:40:57,030 so uh 1018 00:41:01,190 --> 00:40:58,960 let me certainly take uh on the first 1019 00:41:03,109 --> 00:41:01,200 one as head of planetary science and we 1020 00:41:06,309 --> 00:41:03,119 did indeed receive congressional 1021 00:41:07,829 --> 00:41:06,319 direction about establishing an ocean 1022 00:41:10,069 --> 00:41:07,839 world's program 1023 00:41:12,950 --> 00:41:10,079 we have indeed communicated 1024 00:41:15,030 --> 00:41:12,960 back to congress uh in our budgetary 1025 00:41:16,309 --> 00:41:15,040 aspects that we are 1026 00:41:18,550 --> 00:41:16,319 doing that 1027 00:41:21,030 --> 00:41:18,560 in with respect to 1028 00:41:24,870 --> 00:41:21,040 the next set of missions and that next 1029 00:41:28,390 --> 00:41:24,880 set is indeed the europa clipper mission 1030 00:41:29,270 --> 00:41:28,400 uh as far as um uh the press interaction 1031 00:41:33,270 --> 00:41:29,280 that's 1032 00:41:35,190 --> 00:41:33,280 were directed to establish a program for 1033 00:41:38,309 --> 00:41:35,200 investigating ocean worlds and we went 1034 00:41:40,550 --> 00:41:38,319 to our outer planets assessment group 1035 00:41:42,470 --> 00:41:40,560 and asked them to help us out by 1036 00:41:44,870 --> 00:41:42,480 developing a road map for exploring 1037 00:41:46,950 --> 00:41:44,880 these worlds and that is in pro in 1038 00:41:50,390 --> 00:41:46,960 process they're about to deliver to that 1039 00:41:52,950 --> 00:41:50,400 to us any day now or any month now week 1040 00:41:55,190 --> 00:41:52,960 um and so we're moving forward on 1041 00:41:57,510 --> 00:41:55,200 setting the science as we always do 1042 00:41:59,030 --> 00:41:57,520 setting the science priorities and then 1043 00:42:01,030 --> 00:41:59,040 filling in the technologies that we're 1044 00:42:02,550 --> 00:42:01,040 going to need for it and and and 1045 00:42:04,630 --> 00:42:02,560 discussing the types of missions those 1046 00:42:07,349 --> 00:42:04,640 would look like to the various ocean 1047 00:42:10,150 --> 00:42:07,359 worlds that we have to explore 1048 00:42:12,309 --> 00:42:10,160 next we have tracy watson from usa today 1049 00:42:14,550 --> 00:42:12,319 tracy 1050 00:42:16,470 --> 00:42:14,560 hi thank you for dr green 1051 00:42:18,950 --> 00:42:16,480 can you talk about now how this mission 1052 00:42:20,630 --> 00:42:18,960 affects your desire to send 1053 00:42:23,829 --> 00:42:20,640 excuse me how these results affect your 1054 00:42:26,069 --> 00:42:23,839 desire to send a mission to and sell 1055 00:42:29,349 --> 00:42:26,079 this does this make it kind of rise to 1056 00:42:32,790 --> 00:42:29,359 the top of what should be next thanks 1057 00:42:35,270 --> 00:42:32,800 well indeed we announced in january uh a 1058 00:42:38,550 --> 00:42:35,280 program called new frontiers 1059 00:42:41,430 --> 00:42:38,560 and that is a very targeted list of of 1060 00:42:44,790 --> 00:42:41,440 of objects and on that list turns out to 1061 00:42:47,510 --> 00:42:44,800 be enceladus this is an element indeed 1062 00:42:49,670 --> 00:42:47,520 of recognition that this is an active 1063 00:42:51,109 --> 00:42:49,680 world that this is new discoveries that 1064 00:42:53,990 --> 00:42:51,119 have been made 1065 00:42:56,470 --> 00:42:54,000 by cassini since the time our planetary 1066 00:42:59,910 --> 00:42:56,480 decadal actually identified what those 1067 00:43:02,230 --> 00:42:59,920 targets are so uh that's in competition 1068 00:43:04,390 --> 00:43:02,240 right now and and we'll be receiving the 1069 00:43:06,870 --> 00:43:04,400 proposals uh soon and we'll be 1070 00:43:09,190 --> 00:43:06,880 evaluating them and announcing the the 1071 00:43:12,230 --> 00:43:09,200 uh the step one select these by the end 1072 00:43:13,990 --> 00:43:12,240 of the calendar year is what we hope 1073 00:43:16,870 --> 00:43:14,000 thanks jim uh next we're going to go to 1074 00:43:18,870 --> 00:43:16,880 social media so emily what are uh the 1075 00:43:20,390 --> 00:43:18,880 netizens talking about today 1076 00:43:22,710 --> 00:43:20,400 yeah there's a lot of interest on social 1077 00:43:25,030 --> 00:43:22,720 media um this question is from lorenzo 1078 00:43:27,270 --> 00:43:25,040 on facebook so the juno spacecraft just 1079 00:43:29,030 --> 00:43:27,280 recently went into orbit around jupiter 1080 00:43:30,950 --> 00:43:29,040 is there any possibility for that 1081 00:43:32,550 --> 00:43:30,960 spacecraft to help with 1082 00:43:34,309 --> 00:43:32,560 observations of the balloons around 1083 00:43:36,390 --> 00:43:34,319 europa 1084 00:43:39,270 --> 00:43:36,400 well indeed 1085 00:43:41,430 --> 00:43:39,280 juno was launched in 2011 1086 00:43:44,150 --> 00:43:41,440 we may have had a hint of the plumes of 1087 00:43:47,670 --> 00:43:44,160 course from cassini but absolutely 1088 00:43:50,550 --> 00:43:47,680 nothing from europa by that time and so 1089 00:43:53,270 --> 00:43:50,560 it's concentrating on really orbiting 1090 00:43:56,230 --> 00:43:53,280 jupiter and understanding the structure 1091 00:43:59,030 --> 00:43:56,240 that large uh planet the you know the 1092 00:44:02,150 --> 00:43:59,040 largest planet in our solar system it 1093 00:44:04,710 --> 00:44:02,160 also is uh uh so important to understand 1094 00:44:07,670 --> 00:44:04,720 that because the the remnants 1095 00:44:09,510 --> 00:44:07,680 left over after jupiter and sun accreted 1096 00:44:11,510 --> 00:44:09,520 was the rest of the solar system so 1097 00:44:13,990 --> 00:44:11,520 we're really really quite interested in 1098 00:44:15,670 --> 00:44:14,000 understanding the origin and evolution 1099 00:44:18,069 --> 00:44:15,680 of our solar system and understanding 1100 00:44:20,790 --> 00:44:18,079 how jupiter was put together is a major 1101 00:44:25,510 --> 00:44:20,800 segment of that so unfortunately 1102 00:44:29,109 --> 00:44:27,030 all right this next one is from carrie 1103 00:44:30,790 --> 00:44:29,119 on facebook uh they want to know what 1104 00:44:34,710 --> 00:44:30,800 chemicals are causing the coloration 1105 00:44:39,589 --> 00:44:37,589 so with that uh perhaps uh 1106 00:44:42,390 --> 00:44:39,599 uh goddard could talk a little bit about 1107 00:44:46,470 --> 00:44:45,190 uh i think the short answer is we don't 1108 00:44:48,870 --> 00:44:46,480 know uh 1109 00:44:50,870 --> 00:44:48,880 there are the skins that they're salts 1110 00:44:53,430 --> 00:44:50,880 from the ocean but it's not known what 1111 00:44:55,510 --> 00:44:53,440 sort of salts and that potentially 1112 00:44:58,790 --> 00:44:55,520 there's a contribution from 1113 00:45:02,230 --> 00:44:58,800 uh the jovian magnetosphere of irons 1114 00:45:03,910 --> 00:45:02,240 being implanted from io the next moon in 1115 00:45:07,030 --> 00:45:03,920 that's definitely 1116 00:45:08,630 --> 00:45:07,040 got plumes it's got sulfur volcanoes 1117 00:45:09,990 --> 00:45:08,640 spraying sulfur into the whole 1118 00:45:12,390 --> 00:45:10,000 environment 1119 00:45:14,630 --> 00:45:12,400 but the detailed composition 1120 00:45:16,630 --> 00:45:14,640 of the cracks and the dark areas it's a 1121 00:45:19,190 --> 00:45:16,640 it's an ongoing study 1122 00:45:20,390 --> 00:45:19,200 for of research uh people are trying to 1123 00:45:23,030 --> 00:45:20,400 find out it's obviously a very 1124 00:45:24,870 --> 00:45:23,040 interesting question and uh 1125 00:45:27,430 --> 00:45:24,880 it's it will be very nice to know the 1126 00:45:29,030 --> 00:45:27,440 answer to that 1127 00:45:30,950 --> 00:45:29,040 all right we'll take one more question 1128 00:45:33,030 --> 00:45:30,960 from social 1129 00:45:34,550 --> 00:45:33,040 awesome media one's from stephanie on 1130 00:45:36,230 --> 00:45:34,560 twitter she wants to know what 1131 00:45:39,750 --> 00:45:36,240 instruments will be needed to detect 1132 00:45:41,030 --> 00:45:39,760 life on enceladus and how can we help 1133 00:45:46,630 --> 00:45:41,040 okay 1134 00:45:50,550 --> 00:45:48,230 all right um 1135 00:45:53,430 --> 00:45:50,560 well the instrument excuse me the 1136 00:45:55,430 --> 00:45:53,440 instrumentation that uh would be 1137 00:45:57,510 --> 00:45:55,440 uh could be told in this regard are 1138 00:46:00,230 --> 00:45:57,520 similar instruments to the ones that we 1139 00:46:01,910 --> 00:46:00,240 were flying on cassini they're 1140 00:46:03,589 --> 00:46:01,920 and they're certainly similar to the 1141 00:46:07,670 --> 00:46:03,599 instruments that are presently flying on 1142 00:46:09,910 --> 00:46:07,680 europa the mass spectrometer and 1143 00:46:13,270 --> 00:46:09,920 dust analyzer 1144 00:46:16,069 --> 00:46:13,280 are both important in determining this 1145 00:46:17,990 --> 00:46:16,079 habitability as well as looking for 1146 00:46:19,510 --> 00:46:18,000 perhaps amino acids 1147 00:46:23,510 --> 00:46:19,520 fatty acids 1148 00:46:24,550 --> 00:46:23,520 looking at isotopic ratios and trying to 1149 00:46:25,750 --> 00:46:24,560 determine 1150 00:46:29,030 --> 00:46:25,760 uh 1151 00:46:31,349 --> 00:46:29,040 signs of life as well as telling us more 1152 00:46:32,550 --> 00:46:31,359 about the habitability 1153 00:46:34,950 --> 00:46:32,560 learning a little bit about the 1154 00:46:36,870 --> 00:46:34,960 structure of the molecules themselves 1155 00:46:39,030 --> 00:46:36,880 would also be beneficial 1156 00:46:41,349 --> 00:46:39,040 and that can be done through tandem mass 1157 00:46:42,470 --> 00:46:41,359 spectrometry 1158 00:46:44,710 --> 00:46:42,480 there are certainly 1159 00:46:46,950 --> 00:46:44,720 other techniques that are being studied 1160 00:46:49,750 --> 00:46:46,960 for landers but for fly-through missions 1161 00:46:52,390 --> 00:46:49,760 which we think would be uh good enough 1162 00:46:54,790 --> 00:46:52,400 in the case of enceladus uh 1163 00:46:58,230 --> 00:46:54,800 this is the this is a next step that 1164 00:47:00,790 --> 00:46:58,240 would be a good a good approach 1165 00:47:02,870 --> 00:47:00,800 thank you now so before we close um jim 1166 00:47:05,510 --> 00:47:02,880 can you give us some closing thoughts um 1167 00:47:07,910 --> 00:47:05,520 anything you'd like to talk about 1168 00:47:11,030 --> 00:47:07,920 indeed you know this is really an 1169 00:47:13,589 --> 00:47:11,040 exciting time our science is proceeding 1170 00:47:15,190 --> 00:47:13,599 so rapidly we can hardly keep up with 1171 00:47:16,150 --> 00:47:15,200 these discoveries 1172 00:47:18,309 --> 00:47:16,160 you know 1173 00:47:20,630 --> 00:47:18,319 we really are looking forward to more of 1174 00:47:23,430 --> 00:47:20,640 the hubble observations 1175 00:47:25,990 --> 00:47:23,440 we may find that europa is far more 1176 00:47:28,950 --> 00:47:26,000 active in terms of not only one location 1177 00:47:31,270 --> 00:47:28,960 but a number of locations and that bodes 1178 00:47:32,870 --> 00:47:31,280 well with as i mentioned earlier filling 1179 00:47:35,430 --> 00:47:32,880 in these craters 1180 00:47:36,790 --> 00:47:35,440 these ocean worlds have just been 1181 00:47:39,750 --> 00:47:36,800 discovered 1182 00:47:41,910 --> 00:47:39,760 there are in our solar system we need to 1183 00:47:44,309 --> 00:47:41,920 probe them because they are one of the 1184 00:47:48,069 --> 00:47:44,319 best locations we believe 1185 00:47:49,510 --> 00:47:48,079 that may harbor life today 1186 00:47:51,990 --> 00:47:49,520 thank you and that's all the time that 1187 00:47:55,910 --> 00:47:52,000 we have left please keep those questions 1188 00:47:58,309 --> 00:47:55,920 coming online using the hashtag asknasa 1189 00:47:59,910 --> 00:47:58,319 before be sure to follow us on all our 1190 00:48:02,390 --> 00:47:59,920 social media 1191 00:48:04,950 --> 00:48:02,400 and for more information please visit