These distant moons may harbor life (EarthSky.com) {maybe}
By Deborah Byrd in Space | June 4, 2018
Astronomers have identified 121 giant exoplanets whose moons might be capable of supporting life.
The search for tell-tale biosignatures – signs that distant life is affecting its planet’s atmosphere – is a next step in exoplanet research. We don’t mean biosignatures from alien intelligences, necessarily. Any form of life, including microbial life, might chemically alter its planet’s atmosphere. Biosignature studies are often mentioned in connection with the James Webb Space Telescope – Hubble’s successor – currently due to launch in 2020. Late last month (May 30, 2018) – in preparation for future biosignature searches by the Webb and other future telescopes – researchers at the University of California, Riverside and the University of Southern Queensland announced they’ve identified 121 giant exoplanets with orbits within the habitable zone – the zone within which liquid water can exist – of their stars. Although no exomoons are yet known for these planets, it’s likely some exomoons do exist. Some might have atmospheres. Some might be supporting life, whose biosignatures we can detect.
The new study (online here) has been accepted for publication in the peer-reviewed Astrophysical Journal.
Wait. We don’t know of any exomoons, and yet we’re planning to study them? Consider that it wasn’t until 1995 that the star 51 Pegasi went down in history as the first main-sequence star – or star in the same stage of its evolution as our sun – known to have a planet. Now, astronomers know of thousands of exoplanets and exoplanet candidates. The discovery of exomoons is surely on the horizon. Astronomer Stephen Kane at UC Riverside – a co-author on the new research – said:
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more: http://earthsky.org/space/121-giant-planets-with-habitable-moons
