Thanks for the link.
There have been some tentative though unconfirmed identifications of organics on Europa:
Absorption Bands in the Spectrum of Europa Detected by the Galileo NIMS Instrument.
"The absorption band at 3.5 microns may be associated with a hydrocarbon C-H
stretch transition, as reported for Callisto [McCord et al., Science 278, 271-275, 1997]
or possibly by an ammonium compound.
These newly reported absorptions, as well as the band distortions for the water ice
spectrum, confirm that the surface of Europa is not pure water ice. These absorptions may
provide evidence for organic material and for material carried up from below the ice
cover of Europa."
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/LPSC98/pdf/1532.pdf
Organics had already been detected on Callisto and Ganymede and are expected to be on Europa as well:
Researchers: Jupiter moon has 'ingredients' for life
http://mufor.org/europa4.html
Note also that Callisto and Ganymede are also suspected to have subsurface oceans.
Bob Clark
Space/Science » in reply to Bacteria on Europa?
Re: Bacteria on Europa?
