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Question
What are the most promising celestial bodies for life?
Of the planetary bodies in our solar system, there are two intriguing possibilities for life: Mars and Europa, one of Jupiter's moons. While Mars is generally the subject of greatest interest, it is very unlikely that it could presently support any kind of life. It has very little atmosphere and no apparent liquid water. The idea of past life on the red planet, however, is still of great interest given that recent data have suggested a warm, wet Mars existed many millions of years ago.
Europa, on the other hand, is an icy planet that we believe harbors a liquid ocean beneath its frozen surface. If so, the odds of Europa fostering some type of life are much greater. In fact, the presence of liquid water is generally considered a prerequisite for life. For a better explanation of this reasoning, please refer to questions already answered in the Ask an Astrobiologist forum. A wealth of information exists about both Mars and Europa, as well as on the prospects for life existing there. For more on Mars, visit http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/mars/. A great site for general coverage of both topics is http://astrobiology.arc.nasa.gov/roadmap/goals/g8_mars_europa.html,
October 29, 2001
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