SOLAR SYSTEM

Martians, ET, and Others

by Diane Boudreau

Is there life in outer space? If so, where should we look and how would we find it? What would life on another world be like? How does life even begin, anyway?

At Arizona State University, scientists are working hard to tackle these enormous questions. ASU is one of five university partners selected for membership in NASA's Virtual Astrobiology Institute.

Scientists at the institute are dedicated to searching for life beyond the Earth. They study how life on Earth developed. They also want to look at the future of all life in the universe.

"We're at an extraordinary point in the history of science," says Jack Farmer, head of ASU's Astrobiology program. "We can now seriously address questions of life elsewhere."

Farmer says that several recent discoveries offer solid evidence that life could exist on other planets. First of all, scientists have found that life will develop even under extremely harsh conditions.

"This opens up more possibilities for life. The only requirement seems to be liquid water. You don't even need sunlight," Farmer says.

Another discovery is that life on Earth began almost as soon as the conditions were right. Although there is evidence that Mars once held liquid water, it may not have stayed there long. Even so, it could have been long enough to produce simple life forms.

"You don't need billions of years of good conditions," Farmer explains.

Farmer says the time is also right for studying astrobiology because we have the tools and technology to do so. Advances in computer technology and space travel have only recently made this kind of search possible.

Members of the Astrobiology Institute come from all around the world. They communicate with each other using videoconferencing technology and high-speed Web connections.

ASU was selected partly because of the university's strengths in evolutionary and planetary sciences. Some of the ongoing astrobiology projects at ASU include:

• Studying the chemistry of meteorites and interplanetary dust particles
• Studying the origin and evolution of early life on Earth
• Finding new ways to get biological information from ancient rocks
• Learning how life evolves in extreme environments such as those found in Antarctica, near hot ocean vents, or the inside of rocks
• Searching for environments that could have sustained life on Mars or Europa

To learn more about NASA's astrobiology program, visit the website at http://astrobiology.arc.nasa.gov