Planetary evolution over billions of years eventually gave rise to my long line of ancestors who passed down a code from generation to generation and eventually to me. Most of my life I have lived with the notion that my world was special, that I was somewhat of a miracle.

As life went by, I realised that my understanding of the story of creation did not include other dynamic worlds or the idea of an expanded goldilocks zone.

I had to break through the dome of cosmic elements that surround my world in search of an early Earth Analogue to truly understand the role of gravitational energy in the real story of creation.

To board a LUNAR spaceship into the depth of space took quite a level of bravery. As Earth became just a dot in the sky, I settled in to the quietness. Looming in the darkness was a new frontier.

From a distance I saw the blue umbrella plumes. What would they sound like? Who was the invisible conductor.

As the spacecraft edged closer, a moon was transformed from a dot of light to the most beautiful world where sulphur was the artist’s main medium.

I had reached Io.

Closer still, a giant horseshoe shaped lava lake lay as if undisturbed.  I checked my fact sheet. Loki Patera is not quiet. It is constantly resurfaced by flow-dominated volcanism.

This world would no longer be just one of the four Galilean Moons. Io is alive.