Of the four large Galilean moons of Jupiter, Europa is the smallest, not the largest. Ganymede is the largest.
Name Diameter (km) Orbital period (days)
Io 3643 1.77
Europa 3122 3.55
Ganymede 5262 7.16
Callisto 4821 16.69
But that aside, the issue is which of the potentially habitable moons has an appropriate temperature, has water, has an atmosphere and has protection from radiation. And what can be done to make them more earth-like (terraforming these moons) to improve their prospects of supporting human life?
Quite complicated assessments need to be made, and the problem is that we do not as yet have enough information to go on. The Cassini-Huygens probe is giving us more information about Titan, but we must be 50 years or more away from a manned expedition that could land and take measurements and lead to devising practical plans for colonisation.
All we really have to go on is indications that a moon is or is not a promising site for a colony, and therefore worth looking into further,
Firstly moons have to be of a certain minimum mass to be able to retain an atmopshere. That makes the short list rather small.
The volcanic activity on Io argues against considering it further. Even if it had other factors in its favour, a colony could end up like the Roman colony at Pompeii, destroyed by Vesuvius erupting and lava flow wiping out the city. Why risk that?
Callisto is one of the most heavily cratered satellites in the solar system, Crater impacts may of course mainly be historical and not a prominent feature of the moon at this point in its history. but we would need to be sure of that before embarking on colonising the moon. And we don't yet have the means of knowing how recently the most recent craters were formed.
Water has recently been discovered on both Europa and Titan, but also on Saturn's moon Enceladus.
(more follows)
2006-12-13 19:49:21
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answer #1
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answered by Anonymous
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As brucebirchall mentioned, Ganymede is the largest satellite of Jupiter (though Io, not Europa is the smallest of the Galilean moons). But NONE of these is conducive in any way to HUMAN life. Now, it has been pointed out that either Europa or Titan MIGHT be conducive to some kind of PRIMITIVE life. Most have suggested in favor of Europa, possessing liquid water beneith its frozen surface would be most conducive to some form of life.
Titan, while clearly possessing the chemicals necessary to form organic compounds, is thought to be much too cold to give rise to life, although it cannot be totally ruled out.
2006-12-13 19:59:34
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answer #2
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answered by Search first before you ask it 7
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Ganymede is the largest satellite in the solar system & belongs to jupiter.
None of them are conducive to humans.
But on a comparitive basis:
Europa has lots of water.
Titan has a dense atmosphere.
Europa scores more over titan on many other factors.
so europa is more conducive.
2006-12-13 20:00:18
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answer #3
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answered by Som™ 6
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We'll freeze to death on both. Life is more substainable on Europa. I don't think it has an atmosphere there though. We can't breath. Europa only can sustain sea life. Some extremophile might love it there. Microbes and some inveretebrates possibly. I think Titan at face value looks more like Earth, but less likely to be cable to sustain life.
2006-12-13 19:55:48
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answer #4
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answered by Anonymous
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Neanderthals became extinct after about 250,000 years and the modern day human is only about 40,000 years old. I'd be amazed if we last as long as the neanderthals did. Species have to die off and face extinction for new species to arise and flourish. It may be a combination of both, We will continue to evolve but there may be some sort of occurrance or incedent that we might not survive. Anything is possible. Well look at that, notice how defensive christians get.. I think they are getting a tad bit scared..
2016-05-24 00:43:08
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answer #5
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answered by ? 4
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titan is more conductive for human life because the have a atmosphere and many different types of gases (including life suporting gases) and europa is full of ice covering see and also titan atmosphere is dense.
2006-12-15 04:35:25
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answer #6
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answered by ? 2
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