What’s The Largest Planet In The Universe?

Earth’s Ocean and Beyond

Image Credit: NOAA

Earth’s ocean has been the backdrop for ancient epics, tales of fictional fish and numerous scientific discoveries. It was, and will always be, a significant piece of the Earth’s story. Most of the ocean is unexplored– about 95% of this underwater realm is unseen by human eyes (NOAA). There is only one global Ocean. In fact, the ocean represents over 70% of the Earth’s surface and contains 96.5% of the Earth’s water.

We and the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research work together alongside organizations like the Schmidt Ocean Institute and Ocean Exploration Trust to better understand our oceans and its processes. While space may be the final frontier, understanding our own planet helps scientists as they explore space and study how our universe came to be.

On #WorldOceansDay let’s explore how Earth’s ocean informs our research throughout the solar system.

Earth and Exoplanets

“In interpreting what we see elsewhere in the solar system and universe, we always compare with phenomena that we already know of on Earth…We work from the familiar toward the unknown.” - Norman Kuring, NASA Goddard

We know of only one living planet: our own. As we move to the next stage in the search for alien life, the effort will require the expertise of scientists of all disciplines. However, the knowledge and tools NASA has developed to study life on Earth will also be one of the greatest assets to the quest.

The photo above shows what Earth would look like at a resolution of 3 pixels, the same that exoplanet-discovering missions would see. What should we look for, in the search of other planets like our own? What are the unmistakable signs of life, even if it comes in a form we don’t fully understand? Liquid water; every cell we know of – even bacteria around deep-sea vents that exist without sunlight – requires water.

Phytoplankton (Algae) Bloom vs. Atmosphere of Jupiter

Jupiter’s storms are mesmerizing in their beauty, captured in many gorgeous photos throughout the decades from missions like Voyager 1 and Juno. The ethereal swirls of Jupiter are the result of fluids in motion on a rotating body, which might come as a surprise, since its atmosphere is made of gas!

The eddies in Jupiter’s clouds appear very similar to those found in Earth’s ocean, like in the phytoplankton (or algae) bloom in the Baltic Sea, pictured above. The bloom was swept up in a vortex, just a part of how the ocean moves heat, carbon, and nutrients around the planet. Blooms like this, however, are not all beauty - they create “dead zones” in the areas where they grow, blooming and decaying at such a high rate that they consume all the oxygen in the water around them.

Arctic Sea Ice and Europa Ice Crust

While the Arctic (North Pole) and the Antarctic (South Pole) are “polar opposites,” there is one huge difference between the North and South Poles– land mass. The Arctic is ocean surrounded by land, while the Antarctic is land surrounded by ocean. The North Pole  is located in the middle of the Arctic Ocean amid waters that are almost permanently covered with constantly shifting sea ice.

By studying this sea ice, scientists can research its impact on Earth system and even formation processes on other bodies like Europa, an icy moon of Jupiter. For example, it is possible that the reddish surface features on Europa’s ice may have communicated with a global subsurface ocean layer during or after their formation. 

Aquanauts and Astronauts

As new missions are being developed, scientists are using Earth as a testbed. Just as prototypes for our Mars rovers made their trial runs on Earth’s deserts, researchers are testing both hypotheses and technology on our oceans and extreme environments.

NEEMO, our Extreme Environment Mission Operations project, is an analog mission that sends groups of astronauts, engineers and scientists to live in Aquarius, the world’s only undersea research station located off the Florida Keys, 62 feet (19 meters) below the surface. Much like space, the undersea world is a hostile, alien place for humans to live. NEEMO crew members, known as aquanauts, experience some of the same challenges there that they would on a distant asteroid, planet or moon.

Deep-sea Robotic Exploration and Space Robotic Exploration

Video credit: Deep Sea Robotics/Schmidt Ocean Institute and Mars Curiosity rover/NASA

From mapping the seafloor through bathymetry to collecting samples on the surface of Mars, researchers are utilizing new technologies more than ever to explore. Satellite and robotic technology allow us to explore where humans may not be able to– yet. They teach us valuable lessons about the extreme and changing environments, science, as well as provide a platform to test new technologies.

Jezero Crater and Dvina River Delta, Arkhangelsk, Russia/Mars Delta

River deltas, the point where a river meets the ocean, are sites of rich sediment and incredible biodiversity. The nutrients that rivers carry to the coastlines make a fertile place for fish and shellfish to lay their eggs.

The Jezero crater on Mars (pictured in false-color on the right) has been selected as the Mars2020 landing site, and has a structure that looks much like a river delta here on Earth! Pictures from our Mars Global Surveyor orbiter show eroded ancient deposits of transported sediment long since hardened into interweaving, curved ridges of layered rock. This is one of many hints that Mars was once covered in an ancient ocean that had more water than the Arctic Ocean. Studying these deltas on Earth helps us spot them on other planets, and learning about the ocean that was once on Mars informs how our own formed.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.

A Cosmic Legacy: From Earth to the Stars (Extended Video)

"Our beautiful mother world ached for a reprieve from the injustices of many, courtesy of cultures and governance systems, that forgot how to love, how to be kind, how to include others, and how to think beyond the scope of greed and power, but within the visions of shared joy and well-being."

“For far too long people have lived for merely one shared goal, due to the daunting nature that life seems to bring. That goal may be a noble one, but it comes short of progression in and of itself and does not recognize the complexity of life and all of its nuances.

“This goal is survival through natural evolution. To merely survive, no matter the means, as noble as it may seem at first, will actually lead to the end of life and the end of humanity, whether through natural events or mankind’s apparent affinity toward death.

“It’s as if far too many people worship the almighty ‘mixed result’ rather than raise the quality of and joy in life through logic, study, innovation, and common sense, by enjoying what it can bring to the table, which will ultimately result in desired results.

“Finding cures for disease, both physiological and neurological, and possessing the ingenuity to innovate technologies as well as a pathway for humanity to quicken their pace for developing them will lead to preserving our Earth, our solar system, perhaps our Universe, and with it, each individual and humanity itself, as we travel to and push the limits of the Universe and its sustainability, trusting ourselves as we do so.”

Enjoy this First-Year-Anniversary compilation of all of my works in one title: A Cosmic Legacy: From Earth to the Stars

This title includes the entire Pathway to the Stars series: Part 1, Vesha Celeste Part 2, Eliza Williams Part 3, James Cooper Part 4, Universal Party Part 5, Amber Blythe Part 6, Erin Carter Part 7, Span of Influence Part 8, Dreamy & Deep Part 9-Allure & Spacecraft Part 10-Sky Taylor Part 11-A New Day Part 12-Alpha Andromedae

Eliza Williams and a host of friendly heroes tackle some of the most significant dilemmas of the day to bring humanity out and into the stars bearing a legacy we would be proud to share with other civilizations--a legacy of kindness, of mind-to-mind communication, of love, and of healing instead of harming. If we are to overcome the great expansion and the death of all life, we must overcome the smaller challenges to progress and focus on even greater ones. Working with her team diligently, Eliza will speed the pace of society in her world with the belief that beauty and untold potential are within every being. If we find ways to bring that out in ourselves and others, a future where we can breed longevity, a collective and high quality of life, augment the clarity of our minds, and innovate to span the Cosmos may be in our grasp.

Together with the organization Eliza Williams founded, called Pathway, she and her growing team will take us on a fantastical and Utopian journey to get us out and into the farthest reaches of space. There are dilemmas such as the physiological effects of space on each of us, as well as the need for longevity and a desire to still be able to visit loved ones following long journeys. Eliza and her team develop capabilities, so we can overcome the challenges ahead and are determined to stabilize a rocky economy, wipe away suffering, violence, disease, cartels, terrorism, and trafficking in persons. They work together to tame seismic activity, weather, and fires. She and her friends tackle ways to prevent extinction and provide solutions to quality of life concerns. They even consider the longevity of our Sun and our Earth's capacity to preserve life. Eliza tackles each of these issues to get us out, and into the stars, so we can begin our biggest quest--to help our Universe breathe ever so lightly.

No matter the challenge, there will always be greater pursuits! The saga will continue...

"A Cosmic Legacy" is a science fiction & fantasy novel, with a Space Opera flair to it. It is designed to edify, educate, and entertain young adults and scholars alike. Some of the specific topics covered include physiology, neurology, physics, biotechnology, nanotechnology, astronomy, politics, philosophy, and ethics. Preservation of the life-giving and sustaining capacities of our Earth and creation of environments conducive to life throughout the Solar System once thought to be impossible are primary goals. The ideas of kindness, with innovation rooted in well-being, longevity, where cellular health expresses youth and rejuvenation, optimizing the body to be able to live comfortably in austere space environments without adverse effects, and mind-to-mind communication bearing with it a legacy we'd be proud to share with distant civilizations with mutual goals of preserving our Universe can bring a beautiful future for all living beings.

Hardcover (Regular price $45) LCCN: 2019911854 | ISBN: 978-1-7333131-2-4 https://smile.amazon.com/dp/1733313125

Paperback (Regular price $35) LCCN: 2019909638 | ISBN: 978-1-7333131-1-7 https://smile.amazon.com/dp/1733313117

eBook (Regular price $10) LCCN: 2019909630 | ISBN: 978-1-7333131-0-0 | ASIN: B07V4W3MW9 https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07V4W3MW9

#scifi #fantasy #spaceopera #newideology #wellbeing #longevity #neuroscience #neurotech #physiology #biology #biotech #physics #theoreticalphysics #nanotech #CRISPR #stemcellresearch #innovation #positivity #clarityofmind #author #matthewjopdyke #books #novels #ebooks #space #stars #astronomy #stem #science #ethicalrolemodels #universalethics

Further Than Before: Pathway to the Stars, Parts 1 & 2

Further Than Before: Pathway to the Stars, Parts 1 & 2

As the author of both novels, Part 1 and its sequel, of course, I am proud of this. That said, it is a work in progress, or a living-published-document since I am an amateur indie writer and the learning curve can be steep at times. The story is great, the plot is great, the characters are magnificent, but my concern is how others might view the flow. Since I wrote this, care about it, etc., I…

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Thank you for your endless curiosity Dr. Hawking.

Excellent Time to Cozy Up to Preparation for a Grand Space Adventure!

Excellent Time to Cozy Up to Preparation for a Grand Space Adventure!

  It takes a lot to travel beyond the limits of our Solar System. As such, the Christmas Edition of the two-novel literary masterpiece, with a side dish series going a little deeper in smaller portions of each major aspect of the two-novel series, Pathway to the Stars, despite being ridden with indie goofs, pauper challenges toward perfection, and ever-so-constantly updating text to improve the…

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Jupiter and Saturn appear to the naked eye as a single star, dubbed the "Christmas Star," last seen 800 years ago. Viewed from my deck. 🤩 #christmasstar #jupitersaturnconjunction https://www.instagram.com/p/CJFbSF2rMPv/?igshid=tz61xuv73023

You’re looking at a real big deal.

Because in a nanotechnology lab, big deals come in smaller and smaller packages. What you see above is an extreme close-up of a 5 nanometer transistor. In an industry-first, the IBM Research Alliance developed nanosheet transistors that will enable a 5 nm chip. What’s so big about that? Well, by achieving a scale of 30 billion switches on a fingernail sized chip, it can deliver significant enhancements over today’s state-of-the-art 10 nm chips. This not only improves the performance of current technologies but also provides the fuel for the future demands of AI, VR, quantum and mobile technologies to run on. Plus, it could also make things like smartphone batteries last 2-3x longer between charges, so it may also be a real lifesaver too. 

Learn more about it->

Pathway to the Stars: Part 6.1, Trilogy - For more information check out https://www.ftb-pathway-publications.com//product-page/pathway-to-the-stars-part-6-1-trilogy-paperback Announcing the Second Space Opera Trilogy! Enjoy the journey! #spaceopera #sciencefiction #scifibooks #spaceoperabooks #politicalscifi https://www.instagram.com/p/BvoAxVyAEpJ/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=87lp2ukuniko

I am pleased to announce a NEW RELEASE to my Space Opera series. It is now available on Amazon in eBook and paperback formats! Pathway to the Stars: Part 6, Erin Carter Enjoy Erin’s beginning journey, in the sixth of a multi-story series, called Pathway to the Stars! "We can guide you, we can answer questions whenever you have them, but the greatest learning comes from freedom." ~ Eliza Williams, "Pathway to the Stars: Part 6, Erin Carter" #spaceopera #futurism #scifiauthor #sciencefiction #scififantasy #biotech #nanotech #neurotech #spacetravel #solarsystem #politicalscifi #strongfemalelead #entertain #educate https://www.instagram.com/p/BvXufGTg5Lb/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=i0paozefwqiv