Life has prospects on moons of giant extrasolar planets

Earthlike bodies may orbit distant Jupiters

Earth-sized moons in planetary systems trillions of miles away could be hotbeds for alien life, astronomers report in the January Astrobiology.

EXOLIFE Jupiter-like gas giants in other solar systems (illustrated in orange) may host moons that could support life (foreground). R. Heller/AIP

“It’s the most thorough look at exomoon habitability I’ve seen,” says Darren Williams, an astronomer at Penn State Erie who was not involved in the research.