Should we leave them alone? Yesterday a new spacecraft set out to visit one of Jupiter’s moons. Some scientists are hoping that it will find proof of life.
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Blast off for alien-hunter spaceship
Should we leave them alone? Yesterday a new spacecraft set out to visit one of Jupiter's moons. Some scientists are hoping that it will find proof of life.
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Yesterday, at 5:06pm British time, a spacecraft rose into the air. Its journey will take it 390 million miles to Europa, one of JupiterThe largest planet in our solar system. It is a gas giant. 's 95 moons.
Europa is covered in a sheet of ice up to 15km thick. Below that there could be a huge ocean with the basic ingredients of life.
For life to exist you need three things, says scientist Michelle Dougherty. "Liquid water, a heat source and organic material."
A huge telescopeA device which makes things look nearer than they are. has already taken pictures of what looks like water on Europa.
Europa is just one of several projects to look for alien life. The VenusIn mythology, the Roman goddess of love, beauty, desire and fertility. Venus is also the closest planet to Earth. Life Finder is scheduled to blast off at the end of December, looking for life on Venus.
But many people worry about whether it is a good idea to search for aliens. Aliens could be much cleverer than we are, with even better technologies. They might not be friendly to us.
Should we leave them alone?
Yes! Looking for them is just too great a risk. They could be a great danger to humanity. Or we could be a great danger to them!
No! They could be very friendly. Perhaps they could help us to solve some of our problems - such as climate changeLong-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Human action is a major cause of climate change..
Jupiter - The largest planet in our solar system. It is a gas giant.
Telescope - A device which makes things look nearer than they are.
Venus - In mythology, the Roman goddess of love, beauty, desire and fertility. Venus is also the closest planet to Earth.
Climate change - Long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Human action is a major cause of climate change.
Blast off for alien-hunter spaceship
Lift off: A European mission set off to Europa last year, but the Nasa clipper will arrive first (in the year 2030) by using a cosmic piggyback. Glossary
Jupiter - The largest planet in our solar system. It is a gas giant.
Telescope - A device which makes things look nearer than they are.
Venus - In mythology, the Roman goddess of love, beauty, desire and fertility. Venus is also the closest planet to Earth.
Climate change - Long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Human action is a major cause of climate change.