Sky Matters: Active research into enduring and complex question
Scientific interest in finding extraterrestrial life has shifted from Mars to moons like Europa and Enceladus, which possess subsurface oceans. Advances in space exploration and the discovery of thousands of exoplanets have significantly expanded the scope of the search for life in the universe.
Why it matters
The search for life beyond Earth remains a fundamental scientific endeavor that challenges our understanding of biology and the universe.
Saturn’s Moon Enceladus has active geysers that throw water vapour out into space from an underground ocean. Picture: iStock
The year 1976 is memorable to those of us of a certain age because it was one of the hottest on record. It was also the year when two identical NASA spacecraft (called Viking 1 and 2) landed on Mars with the primary goal of looking for evidence of life. There was a palpable sense of excitement about hopeful prospects of finally answering one of humanities greatest questions – are we alone?
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