Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Thesis
  • Published:

The search for Europan life

Nature Chemistry (2024)Cite this article

Subjects

Excited by the prospect of future missions to the Jupiter system, Bruce Gibb explores the chemistry of Jupiter’s moons and wonders whether there could be life on Europa.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. National Academies of Sciences, Division on Engineering, Physical Sciences, Space Studies Board, & Committee on Astrobiology Science Strategy for the Search for Life in the Universe. An Astrobiology Strategy for the Search for Life in the Universe (National Academies Press, 2019).

  2. Greenberg, R. Unmasking Europa: The Search for Life on Jupiter’s Ocean Moon (Copernicus Books, 2008).

  3. Volwerk, M., McGrath, M., Jia, X. & Spohn, T. (eds) Ganymede (Cambridge University Press, 2024).

  4. Johnson, T. V. & McCord, T. B. Astrophys. J. 169, 589–594 (1971).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Squyres, S. W., Reynolds, R. T., Cassen, P. M. & Peale, S. J. Nature 301, 225–226 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Kivelson, M. G. et al. Science 289, 1340–1343 (2000).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Pappalardo, R. T., McKinnon, W. B. & Khurana, K. (eds) Europa (The University of Arizona Press, 2009).

  8. Schmidt, B. E. in Planetary Astrobiology (eds Meadows, V. S., Arney, G. N., Schmidt, B. E. & Des Marais, D. J.) Part 2, Ch. 3 (The University of Arizona Press, 2020).

  9. Carlson, R. W. et al. in Astrobiology and the Potential for Life on Europa (eds. Pappalardo, R. T., McKinnon, W. B. & Khurana, K.) 283–327 (The University of Arizona Press, 2009).

  10. Baross, J. A., Anderseon, R. E. & Stüeken, E. E. in Planetary Astrobiology (eds. Meadows, V. S., Arney, G. N., Schmidt, B. E. & Des Marais, D. J.) Part 1, Ch. 3 (The University of Arizona Press, 2020).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry at Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA

    Bruce C. Gibb

Authors
  1. Bruce C. Gibb
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bruce C. Gibb.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The author declares no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Gibb, B.C. The search for Europan life. Nat. Chem. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-024-01517-w

Download citation

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-024-01517-w

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing