NASA seeks life on planets and moons
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Europa's frozen surface
Europa's frozen surface
Despite Stephen Hawking’s recent warning about the dangers of making contact with advanced alien life, NASA is moving forward with plans to seek life on planets and moons — in particular, Europa, Jupiter’s sixth moon. Europa is covered with ice, and astronomers now think that a sea of water, and possibly living organisms, lies under the ice layers.
This enhanced color photo of Europa was taken by NASA’s Galileo spacecraft. This image provides a good view of Europa’s surface.
Credit: NASA/courtesy of nasaimages.org.
Related TechRepublic Geekend post: Hawking warns that aliens may not be nice.
Europa Full Disk
Europa Full Disk
Europa is the smallest of Jupiter’s Galilean satellites.
Credit: NASA/courtesy of nasaimages.org.
Related TechRepublic Geekend post: Hawking warns that aliens may not be nice.
Jupiter's four Galilean Satellites
Jupiter's four Galilean Satellites
Jupiter’s four moons are called the Galilean Satellites because Galileo Galilei first observed them in 1610.
Credit: NASA/courtesy of nasaimages.org.
Related TechRepublic Geekend post: Hawking warns that aliens may not be nice.
Uranus's irregular moons
Uranus's irregular moons
Uranus has two moons that each have irregular orbit patterns.
Credit: NASA/courtesy of nasaimages.org.
Related TechRepublic Geekend post: Hawking warns that aliens may not be nice.
Sky and planets
Sky and planets
This stunning photo was taken by astro-photographer Steve Sumner. The view includes Earth’s horizon, Earth’s moon, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury.
Credit: NASA/courtesy of nasaimages.org.
Related TechRepublic Geekend post: Hawking warns that aliens may not be nice.
Venus, Earth's sister planet
Venus, Earth's sister planet
Like most twin siblings, Earth and Venus have lots in common — mostly size and mass. But Venus’s surface and climate are drastically different from the one human’s inhabit.
Credit: NASA/courtesy of nasaimages.org.
Related TechRepublic Geekend post: Hawking warns that aliens may not be nice.
Neptune, the Big Blue Giant
Neptune, the Big Blue Giant
The Voyager 2 is the only spacecraft from Earth to ever visit Neptune. The Big Blue Giant is a complicated combination of methane, ammonia, and liquid water.
Credit: NASA/courtesy of nasaimages.org.
Related TechRepublic Geekend post: Hawking warns that aliens may not be nice.
X-rays from Sirius B
X-rays from Sirius B
These x-rays from Sirius B show that the Sirius A star sends its own light beacon into the dense darkness. Sirius A’s light beacon can be seen from telescopes.
Credit: NASA/courtesy of nasaimages.org.
Related TechRepublic Geekend post: Hawking warns that aliens may not be nice.
Eyes in the sky
Eyes in the sky
This false-color image shows two galaxies pulling at each other and thus creating new stars. These galaxies have been working on merging for an estimated 40 million years.
Credit: NASA/courtesy of nasaimages.org.
Related TechRepublic Geekend post: Hawking warns that aliens may not be nice.
Cartwheel galaxy waves
Cartwheel galaxy waves
This composite, false-color image makes it clear to see the effects of another galaxy crashing through the Cartwheel galaxy.
Credit: NASA/courtesy of nasaimages.org.
Related TechRepublic Geekend post: Hawking warns that aliens may not be nice.
The birth of stars
The birth of stars
This image, taken from the Hubble space telescope, capture the activity involved in the birth of new stars. With galaxies constantly changing, it seems increasingly likely that we are not alone.
Credit: NASA/courtesy of nasaimages.org.
Related TechRepublic Geekend post: Hawking warns that aliens may not be nice.
