Electrical Activity on Titan Confirmed: The Spark for Life?

by Ian O'Neill on July 31, 2008

NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute/ESA

False colour image of Titan's atmosphere. Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute/ESA


Titan not only has an atmosphere it has hydrocarbon lakes, oceans, sand dunes and now research has just been published proving Saturn’s moon is sparkling with electrical activity. Scientists are in general agreement that organic molecules, the precursors to life on Earth, are a consequence of lightning in the atmosphere. Now, using data from the Huygens probe that descended through Titan’s atmosphere in 2005 and continued transmitting for 90 minutes after touchdown, Spanish scientists have “unequivocally” proven that Titan has electrical storms too. The presence of electrical activity in the atmosphere is causing much excitement as this could mean that organic compounds may be found in abundance on the Titan surface.

The fruits from the Cassini-Huygens mission are coming thick and fast. Only yesterday, Nancy reviewed the discovery of liquid hydrocarbon lakes by Cassini’s Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS). Although possible lakes have been theorized, it is only now that there is observational proof of the existence of such features. Now, three years after the Huygens probe dropped through Titan’s atmosphere, scientists have made another crucial discovery: Titan experiences electrical activity in its atmosphere. Now Titan has all the necessary components for life; it has an atmosphere with electrical activity, increasing the opportunity for prebiotic organic compounds to form, thus increasing the possibility for life to evolve.

According to Juan Antonio Morente from the University of Granada, Titan is already considered a “unique world in the solar system” since the early 20th Century when Spanish astronomer José Comas y Solá made the discovery that the Saturn moon had an atmosphere. This is what makes Titan special, it has a thick atmosphere, something that is not observed on any other natural satellite in the Solar System.

“On this moon clouds with convective movements are formed and, therefore, static electrical fields and stormy conditions can be produced. This also considerably increases the possibility of organic and prebiotic molecules being formed, according to the theory of the Russian biochemist Alexander I. Oparín and the experiment of Stanley L. Miller [who managed to synthesise organic compounds from inorganic compounds through electrical discharges] That is why Titan has been one of the main objectives of the Cassini-Huygens joint mission of NASA and the European Space Agency” – Juan Antonio Morente.

Morente and his team analysed data from Huygens’ Mutual Impedance Probe (MIP) that measured the atmospheric electrical field. The MIP instrument was primarily used to measure the atmosphere’s electrical conductivity but it also acted as a dipolar antenna, detecting the natural electric field. The MIP was therefore able to detect a set of spectral peaks of extremely low frequency (ELF) radio signals (known as “Schumann resonances”). These ELF peaks are formed between the moon’s ionosphere and a huge resonant cavity in which electromagnetic fields are confined.

The detection of these signals have led the Spanish researchers to state that it is “irrefutable” evidence of electrical activity on Titan, not dissimilar to static charge that builds up in the terrestrial atmosphere, leading to electrical storms.

Source: Scientific Blogging

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  • Aodhhan

    You need a consistant and constant energy source. Something which is there breifly will not cut it. Lightning has the energy to create carbon, but not the consistancy or longevity to be considered a great energy source for the sustainment of life. Atmosphere and distance keeps the Sun from being a good source.

    Something else not mentioned is protection from radiation. Another problematic source for anything on the surface or near it; a hazard which comes from being near a large planet.
    I would be interested in really watching the surface a bit more; see what affect Saturn’s gravity has on the surface elements.

  • Frank Glover

    “If electric sparks in an atmosphere are thought to be requirements for life, why are people so hyped on finding life in the oceans of Europa? There’s no lightning there or on the surface above the ice.”

    First, Europa may well have plenty of liquid water below its icy surface, and that would mean a biochemestry that’s far less speculative than something that would have to start in the methane/ethane lakes of Titan.

    Second, the Miller-Urey experiments have been reproduced, starting with not only electrical discharges, but heat, ultraviolet exposure and even simple mechanical sloshing of the water and starting elements.

    Any of thos energetic events must have happened many times in Europa’s history, espically from occasional ice-penetrating meteors and subatomic particles from the Jovian VanAllen belts in which Europa orbits. Not to mention the popssibility of something like Earth’s undersea ‘black smoker’ geothermal vents whose heat would come from the same tidal flexing of the moon by Jupiter that would keep it warm enough for liquid water to begin with (and makes Io positively volcanic).

  • Jon Hanford

    I think Aodhhan brings up a good point, namely the radiation field generated by Saturn. Both Cassini & Galileo ran the risk of frying their electronics if immersed in Saturn’s or Jupiter’s high energy radiation belts, so this is another serious variable to be considered with concern to Titan. Does anyone know where Titan’s orbit lies in relation to Saturn’s radiation belts?

  • Eric Near Buffalo

    Can we escape the box of looking for carbon based life or assuming that if there’s life it can only be carbon based? There’s nothing that says all life in the universe will be carbon based, but there’s also nothing that says it won’t be. My thing is, what if there’s an outside chance that life on Titan is based on an element that we would never think it could be? What if there’s some nanomicrobial life forms on Mars that we can’t even see without having maybe an electron microscope and they are composed of an element that would be looked at in a very pedestrian manner?

  • Al Hall

    If I were running the show I would be setting my sights on Europa. Manned missions to Mars (for the time being) and robotic missions to Europa. If we really want to find signs of life in our system, I think that would be the place to look. And it should be a top priority if we are really serious about it. “Follow the water” as they say. This time, I tend to agree. Is there water on Mars? Yep, appears to be some but it all seems to be frozen. May find signs of past life, or the necessary minimal components to sustain life for future colonization…. Maybe.. Is there water on Titan? Hmm…… Maybe not.. Is there water on Europa? Yep, appears to be a vast abundance of it.. Possibly even an ocean of liquid (H2O) under the surface. It is one thing to explore worlds to learn about them, but it is another if our priority is to look for signs of life. In our solar system, I am convinced that Europa is the place to look. Then Callisto and Ganymede…
    Titan: Interesting to study, to learn about, but…well…
    I think that if we ever do find actual (living) life in our system, we will find it on Europa. If we are lucky enough to find life in our system.. Could some day find it on a comet, I suppose.. Anyway, Europa is what we need to focus on if our priority is to find signs of life… And we would have a mission well underway right now…… if I was running the show..

  • Tyler Durden

    The storms are caused by the Titans’ experiments with transmitting energy via Tesla towers.

  • Chewbacca’s Dad

    “This is what makes Titan special, it has a thick atmosphere, something that is not observed on any other natural satellite in the Solar System.”

    Is this in contrast to the “non-natural satellites” with thick atmospheres in our solar system? Like the one built by the Dark Lord of the Sith, His Badassity, Darth Vader?

    Does it count if the atmosphere is contained within the structure of the satellite?

    I’m pretty sure the Death Star has electrical activity.

  • http://www.gomarsgo.com TD

    Frank Glover – thanks for the clarification. I probably misinterpreted the article when it said: “Titan experiences electrical activity in its atmosphere. Now Titan has all the necessary components for life; it has an atmosphere with electrical activity, increasing the opportunity for prebiotic organic compounds to form, thus increasing the possibility for life to evolve.”

    So basically any energy source is sufficient – I didn’t know that. Thanks.

  • http://www.gomarsgo.com TD

    And I’m still for thoroughly exploring Mars first – I probably won’t live long enough to see a serious effort be made to design, build, launch, and land a functional device on Europa to drill through the ice and reach the liquid water. And then, if I do, my blood pressure will shoot up and I’ll have a heart attack when NASA announces they discovered water – something we know now, right?

  • btw

    Titan may or may not have native dna, but it and Mars both have the resources that can sustain current human life. We must get off of this rock.

  • Watson Mygoodman

    If they do discover life, we need to start producing a plan to eradicate that life. Any threat to the human race, whether local or alien, must be dealt with quickly and effectively if we are to survive as a space faring species.

  • Idiotindisguise

    @ Eric Near Buffalo
    We need to find forms of life that are similar to ours so we can see them and study them. Remember , we depend heavily on our 5 senses , and who knows how many forms of “senses” are in the whole universe. With so many different enviroments , there must be some very different forms of “life” in our universe (or universes), and what use there is to try and find them if we cant see them.
    Btw sry for my english

  • brad

    If there liquid water on titan then that means that there could be life on it in the future.

    SO COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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