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Extraterrestrial life (view source)
Revision as of 15:13, October 17, 2007
, 15:13, October 17, 2007→The Bible and Extraterrestrial Life
The presence of extraterrestrial ''microbes'' on one or more of the other planets in our solar system (most likely Mars) does excite some fear in Christian quarters. But not all Christians harbor such fear, and even [[Young earth creationism|young earth creationists]] are quite confident that they could explain such a finding. For example, if the [[hydroplate theory]] is correct and a slurry of mud from the Great Flood traveled to Mars and poured itself out upon it, then such a slurry would almost certainly contain microbes. That some of these might be extremophiles, and thus capable of long-term survival even in such a harsh environment as that of Mars, is entirely possible and would allow complete harmony between the finding of microbes in such locations and the Biblical account of earth pre-history.
The presence of extraterrestrial ''microbes'' on one or more of the other planets in our solar system (most likely Mars) does excite some fear in Christian quarters. But not all Christians harbor such fear, and even [[Young earth creationism|young earth creationists]] are quite confident that they could explain such a finding. For example, if the [[hydroplate theory]] is correct and a slurry of mud from the Great Flood traveled to Mars and poured itself out upon it, then such a slurry would almost certainly contain microbes. That some of these might be extremophiles, and thus capable of long-term survival even in such a harsh environment as that of Mars, is entirely possible and would allow complete harmony between the finding of microbes in such locations and the Biblical account of earth pre-history.
==Candidates for extraterrestrial life in our Solar System==
Besides Earth there are two moons and one planet that scientists consider possibly habitable to some form of life. Mars is the most popular candidate because ice is known to exist at the poles and some liquid water may exist on Mars because temperatures occasionally rise above freezing. Other candidates inclue the Jovian moon Europa that is covered with a thick sheet of ice. Scientists speculate that a liquid ocean may exist under the crust and that may harbour life. The third candidate is Titan, a moon of Saturn. It has approximately the same percentage of nitrogen in its atmosphere as in Earth's and there are oceans and thick clouds on Titan. Scientists have determined that the oceans are liquid methane not water and that the low temperatures of -178 Celcius make life, at least as we know it, highly improbable.
== References ==
== References ==