Moons `might hold life'

LONDON - Mysterious gassy planets spotted outside the Earth's solar system may not be hospitable to life as we know it, but rocky…

LONDON - Mysterious gassy planets spotted outside the Earth's solar system may not be hospitable to life as we know it, but rocky moons orbiting them might, US scientists said yesterday.

Dr Darren Williams and colleagues at Pennsylvania State University said they had identified two systems that might have planets with such moons. In a letter to the science journal, Nature, they suggested "that the systems belonging to 47 Ursae Majoris and 16 Cygni B should be considered as possible abodes for extraterrestrial life."

  • Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date

  • Sign up for push alerts to get the best breaking news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone

  • Listen to In The News podcast daily for a deep dive on the stories that matter