YP Cadets On: what sort of aliens might live in outer space, from Pokemon-like critters to bird-like creatures

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Is there life on Mars (and Venus, and Saturn, and Europa)? Our Young Post cadets describe what sort of aliens could be out there

YP ReporterPearl ChiaYP Reporter |
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The truth is out there – probably. Most likely. We think. Well, we haven’t seen any sentient alien life-forms out there just yet, but we’re willing to bet they’re there anyway. Our Young Post cadets have taken a stab at what they think what forms aliens might take in outer space, and why. If you think some of them are far-fetched ... well, can you imagine how grotesque they must think humans are?

Venus

Venus is called “Earth’s sister planet” because they are of similar size, mass and distance from the Sun. That’s why I think it’s pretty likely that aliens reside there.

Being the hottest planet in the solar system, I think this life form must have high levels of melanin, a pigment that helps disperse UV (ultraviolet) light. Melanin produces freckles, so the alien is probably either very tanned, or completely black. Venus is so hot, I think it may also have to live underground.

Since this planet is the second closest planet to our sun, and the atmosphere is 96 per cent carbon dioxide, the alien probably has to undergo something similar to photosynthesis (except not photosynthesis, which requires water, and there isn’t any on Venus). However, maybe they don’t need water. They’re from Venus after all, and not like us.

The atmospheric pressure of Venus is the highest among the four terrestrial planets (the others being Mercury, Mars and Earth), so I think that any alien there has to be small, but dense, to avoid being crushed.

Now that I think about it, I imagine this alien to look a bit like Oddish from Pokemon. Wouldn’t it be interesting if something like this did exist on Venus?

Vivian Lun

Mars

We know what pop culture tells us Martians look like – tall, thin, grey or green, with a big, oval head. If aliens actually exist, I imagine they can shape shift in order to blend in or thrive in any environment. I think they must have properties that allow them to adapt to extreme climates and places too, which means there’s no one definite shape or size to them. They can probably also become invisible – which would explain why we’ve not seen what an alien looks like for sure yet!

Christy Kwok

Earth

One theory for how life began on Earth is that comets bombarding the Earth four billion years ago brought organic materials to the planet that later evolved into the living matter we see today. So you could say that, in a way, we could actually be aliens.

My alien in question isn’t a creature of my imagination – it’s the star-nosed mole, which looks a little like it crawled out of a horror film. It lives in complete darkness in areas of wetland, is nearly blind, and relies on its characteristic star-shaped limbs to hunt for prey.

Not only can it smell underwater AND is the world’s fastest eater (that we know of), the star-nosed mole can also detect earthquakes – which is pretty cool for an animal the size of a hamster. With all that we still don’t know about the Earth, let alone outer space, who knows what else could be out there?

Pearl Chia

Saturn

If aliens are actually out there, then they live on Saturn. Since Saturn doesn’t have a solid surface, the alien life form is probably a bird-like creature that flies around the planet. When these aliens want to land, they use their jet-powered shoes to glide across the surface, so it’s like they’re walking on air. One day on Saturn is 10 Earth hours long, so these aliens are probably super tired, and probably have dark circles around their eyes. As bird-like beings, they probably have feathery coat that protect them from the cold, windy climate. It’s probably a pale, white colour because Saturn receives very little sunlight, being so far away from the sun. Their long eyelashes – like those of a camel – are designed to stop dust particles or dirt from getting into their eyes. That’s pretty vital for a planet that has space rings made up of ice particles and rock debris. And I reckon they all have scarves too, to keep them nice and warm!

Karl Lam

Jupiter’s moon Europa

Europa, one of the moons surrounding Jupiter, is well-known for being one of NASA’s best bets for finding extraterrestrial life. Despite the thick layer of ice on the surface, there might be a subsurface ocean with hydrothermal vents, which could heat up water for micro-organisms.

I’ll let a potential alien friend speak for itself:

“Hi! I’m a microbacteria, so I can’t actually talk, and I might not actually exist. I’m probably a methanotrophs - meaning I consume methane for carbon and energy. Hydrothermal vents provide me with energy. I can move with my cilia (tail-like structures) which propel me forward as I swim.”

We probably aren’t going to be able to communicate with these aliens for a while (if ever), but knowing that there might be life out there is good enough for me.

Joyee Au Yeung

Edited by Ginny Wong

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