New Study Believes That Life Could Possibly Exist on Saturn's Moon — Titan

Titan's vitality, evaluated in a new assessment using data gathered by NASA's Cassini mission and Huygens probe, has provided some stunning insights. It revealed that Saturn's moon could indeed support life, as previously speculated by scientists. The team also suggested that alien life could be present within the natural satellite's ocean. However, the results posed doubts on whether these life forms are "abundant" in the dark waters composed of liquid methane and ethane. Researchers are hopeful that the investigation will help in deciding the course they want to take in their search for extraterrestrial life. The analysis undertaken by the team, along with the results, has been published in The Planetary Science Journal.

Titan- a long-suspected site for alien life 

Titan has always stood out to astronomers, as it is one of the most Earth-like bodies that exist in the solar system, according to NASA. Observations have showcased that it is the only moon in the solar system to have clouds and a dense atmosphere made of nitrogen and methane. In 2004, NASA's Cassini spacecraft provided scientists with information about Titan's elusive surface using RADAR and infrared imaging instruments. A year later, a closer look at the moon was unveiled by the Huygens probe, which parachuted into the satellite's atmosphere. 

Scientists have long speculated that life could exist on Titan due to the apparent presence of organic compounds, like methane and ethane, in its rivers, along with the existence of a possible underground ocean, according to Space. Study author Antonin Affholder, a postdoctoral research associate in the University of Arizona's Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, explained that the plentiful organic compounds in Titan suggest that it has enough food sources to sustain life. 

The speculation grew stronger when researchers received data from the Huygens probe. The insights showcased that its atmosphere hosts several photochemical reactions (chemical processes facilitated by light). Such reactions could create complex organic molecules that may then act as building blocks of life. Researchers believe that the hidden ocean on the moon could be the site where this life is getting facilitated. The organic molecules land on Titan's surface, and after material exchanges and geochemical processes, go into the hidden ocean, potentially becoming the habitat to support the burgeoning life forms, as proposed by scientists.

Fermentation- Key to Developing Life on Titan?

Researchers utilized bioenergetic modeling to determine the biological metabolic process that could be in play at Titan, according to SciTech. Biological metabolic processes are a set of reactions conducted by beings to live. The team landed on fermentation, as the process requires only organic molecules, which are abundant at the site and, most importantly, do not need oxygen. Fermentation is carried out by microorganisms, which break down complex organic molecules into simpler compounds. Past examinations have indicated this process occurred early in the Earth's history. 

If the insights from the modeling are indeed true, then there is a possibility that microbes that existed on early Earth are also present in Titan. It further implies that these microbes would need to feed on abiotic organic molecules formulated in Titan's atmosphere to carry out the fermentation. Experts decided to focus on glycine, a simple amino acid molecule that is abundant in the solar system, and hence could be synthesized by Titan's atmosphere. Simulations centered around this molecule revealed that glycine could indeed reach Titan's ocean, and possibly the microbes in those dark waters could be feeding on these molecules to carry out fermentation. The results indicate that Titan's ocean could indeed be hosting life. 

Scarce Life on Titan

Even though life could be present in Titan's hidden oceans, it would not be easy to find. Currently, the prime candidates for life on Titan are microbes feeding on glycine. For thriving, these microbes would require a steady supply of this amino acid from Titan's surface, where it supposedly arrives from the atmosphere. There are two ways for this glycine to arrive in the subsurface water: through the thick icy shell on the moon's surface and by the 'pools' of liquid water created by meteorites.

The simulations showcased that glycine supplied through these two methods would not be enough to support a large population. The population it could sustain would possibly be equivalent to the mass of a small dog. This finding rejects the previous assertions, which implied that Titan's massive inventory of organic compounds translates to a thriving living population. "Such a tiny biosphere would average less than one cell per liter of water over Titan's entire vast ocean," Affholder added. Researchers concluded that if Titan's ocean is the only habitat that can support life on the moon, then the body does not have much vitality.