The Jupiter moon that holds the key to finding alien life

Space boffins believe the cosmic rivers and waterfalls could contain tiny interstellar organisms – right NOW.

But some astronomers have questioned the claim – and fingered an icy moon at the far end of the Solar System as even MORE likely to support extraterrestrial life.

Jupiter's moon Europa – which is COVERED with water – offers the best home to space beings.

UK Space Agency research fellow Dr Lewis Dartnell – who is busy building space bot to hunt Martians – said: "If you look beyond Mars to the outer Solar System – to the gas giants – it's not the planets themselves but their icy moons where life might be.

"In particular it's Europa – which orbits Jupiter.

"It has a GLOBAL ocean. Europa has more water than EARTH.

"In many ways it is the Waterworld of our Solar System."

The water on Mars must be extremely salty to remain liquid in temperatures that plummet below -100C – just as humans throw salt on our driveways to melt ice in winter.

Dr Dartnell – of the University of Leicester – warned it could be TOO salty for life to survive.

But Europa has vast stellar seas that could support alien FISH.

Dr Dartnell – who is designing laser eyes for the European Space Agency's ExoMars Rover – said: "It's possible actually that the chances of life today are better on Europa than on Mars.

"Because even though we see signs of trickling water on Mars today – on Europa there is MUCH more.

"It's probably much more habitable."

Europa – which is slightly smaller than the Moon – is about 485million miles from the Sun and its astral ocean is covered by a crust of ice several MILES thick.

But the water below remains liquid below as the force of gravity from Jupiter – the largest planet in the Solar System – is so massive it squashes and squeezes the satellite, warming it up.

It is hard to believe life could exist under the freezing crust but it can – as it does on Earth.

Life survives inside giant icebergs and under eternally frozen lakes in the Antarctic.

Europa also has an atmosphere of oxygen and "clay-like" minerals in its crust.

The ESA – which hopes to beat Nasa in the race to find aliens on Mars – is already planning a mission to hunt for life on Europa.

The Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer – JUICE – which will complete a number of flybys of the satellite is due to launch in 2022.

Nasa's Europa Clipper mission – which may land on Europa and try to drill or melt through the ice – is set for take off in the mid 2020s.

(dailystar.co.uk)