Where in the solar system might scientists search for life, and why?

1 Answer
Apr 18, 2016

Anywhere there may liquid water, there may be life. For life as we know it, liquid water the one thing that cannot be readily replaced by a known alternative.

Explanation:

Apart from Earth, likely candidates for life in our Solar System cannot keep liquid water on the surface but may harbor it underground. Such underground water woukd not receive any sunlight but may draw life-giving energy from other sources such as appropriate chemicals. Life on Earth itself seems to do that at the bottom of our ocean floors, using hydrothermal vents as the source.

Large, icy moons like Europa (a moon of Jupiter) appear to be likely places for underground liquid water, kept from freezing by tidal heating and relatively high solute concentrations. Mars may also have liquid water underground.