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Question
Are there any other planets or moons or stars capable of supporting life right now?
Yes. In fact, Mars and Jupiter’s ice moon Europa are both believed capable of supporting of life. Both planets seem to have a sufficient source of energy for biochemical processes, protection from harmful solar radiation, and, of course, water--the essential ingredient to life as we know it. Whether either of these worlds currently supports life remains to be seen. Many suspect that Mars may have harbored life millions of years ago, when the planet was warm and wet much like present-day Earth. Still other scientists speculate that life (probably microscopic) could be hiding today in the warmer subsurface crust, where the presence of water and warmth is more probable. Similarly, Europa is thought to harbor life, if any, under its icy crust. There, deep in its dark oceans, there may be enough energy and warmth generated from Jupiter's gravitational pull to sustain living systems. Anna Lee Strachan, NASA Astrobiology Institute
May 1, 2002
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