Ocean Worlds of the Outer Solar System

Where is the best place to find living life beyond Earth? The small, ice-covered moons of Jupiter and Saturn may harbor some of the most habitable real estate in our solar system. Life loves liquid water, and these moons have lots of it.

These oceans worlds of the outer solar system have likely persisted for much of the solar system’s history and, as a result, are highly compelling targets in our search for life beyond Earth. In this lecture, Kevin Peter Hand will explain the science behind how we know these oceans exist and what we suspect about the conditions on these icy worlds. He will focus on Jupiter’s moon Europa, which is a top priority for future NASA missions. Hand will also show how the exploration of Earth’s ocean informs our understanding of the potential habitability of worlds like Europa.