寻找地外生命的进展与前景  

Progress and Prospection in Searching for Extraterrestrial Life

作　　者：向世民[1] 黄定华[2,3] 高举[1] 林鑫波[1] 

机构地区：[1]中国地质大学研究生院 [2]中国地质大学地球科学学院 [3]中国地质大学空间科学技术研究中心,武汉430074

出　　处：《地质科技情报》2009年第6期128-135,共8页Geological Science and Technology Information

基　　金：国家863-763项目子课题"我国火星探测的科学目标";中国科学院探月工程总体部项目"未来我国水星金星探测的科学目标";教育部国防基础培育项目"月球探测应用科学研究"

摘　　要：介绍并探讨了人类运用天文学、深空探测及计算机模拟与统计等多种方法和手段在太阳系内的地外天体及太阳系外的类地行星上寻找地外生命的进展,如:美国航空航天局及欧空局的一系列探测器都发现火星土壤略呈碱性可能适宜生命的存在,火星大气正在不断释放可能由火星地质或生物作用产生的甲烷;表面为巨厚的水冰覆盖的木卫二如果内部炽热,则极有可能存在生命;而土卫六则非常类似现代生命起源理论中生命起源时的原始地球。对彗星的撞击探测结果表明,其内部存在着有机物和黏土矿物,可能给早期原始地球带来了有机物甚至生命;对太阳系外的射电天文观测则发现了仅银河系中就有无数的类地行星。不仅如此,"寻找地外智慧生命"计划还试图通过倾听地外智慧生命的通讯信号和主动发射地球人类的通讯信号以和地外智慧生命取得联系。美国航空航天局发射了带有地球位置及生命信息的太阳系外探测器,也做出了类似的努力。从取得的探测结果和重要发现来看,地外可能存在着适宜生命产生及演化的条件,这使我们看到了寻找地外生命的新曙光。但囿于对地外生命形式认识的缺乏和深空探测技术的限制,目前想要找到它们还是个极其艰巨的任务。Astrobiology is the study of origin, evolution, distribution and future of life in the universe, with searching for extraterrestrial life as one of its most important content. Searching for extraterrestrial life, the most spectacular area in the international space exploration, may support another breakthrough point for solving origin, evolution and future of life on the Earth, including human beings. Accordingly, this paper integrates and discusses the methods of astronomy, space exploration and numerical simulations used in searching extraterrestrial life on terrestrial planets in and beyond the solar system and important discoveries： the discovery by the spacecrafts to Mars launched by NASA and ESA that the Mars soil showsa little alkaline an a hot inner; and t leads to the hypot habitat for life, that the Eu at the atmosphere of Titan esis of bridge the step from opa （Jupiter＇s moon） could serve as a abode for life if it has Saturn＇s moon） was similar to the primitive Earth＇s which heroical to biological evolution. The deep impact mission ofComet suggested it might ever feed organic materials and even organisms to the Earth. The radio astronomy shows thousands of terrestrial planets are distributed in our Galaxy. Probably, the suitable condition for life＇s occurrence and evolution exists beyond the Earth according the current exploration results and important discoveries. This lightens the prospect of searching extraterrestrial life. However, the limited understanding of life forms and exploration technology will make it very hard to find them out.

关 键 词：地外生命 深空探测 火星 木卫二 木卫六 彗星 类地行星 

分 类 号：V11[航空宇航科学与技术—人机与环境工程]