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Habitable moons around extrasolar giant planets

Author

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  • Darren M. Williams

    (The Pennsylvania State University)

  • James F. Kasting

    (The Pennsylvania State University)

  • Richard A. Wade

    (The Pennsylvania State University)

Abstract

Possible planetary objects have now been discovered1–9 orbiting nine different main-sequence stars. These companion objects (some of which might actually be brown dwarfs) all have a mass at least half that of Jupiter, and are therefore unlikely to be hospitable to Earth-like life: jovian planets and brown dwarfs support neither a solid nor a liquid surface near which organisms might dwell. Here we argue that rocky moons orbiting these companions could be habitable if the planet–moon system orbits the parent star within the so-called 'habitable zone'10, where life-supporting liquid water11 could be present. The companions to the stars 16 Cygni B and 47 Ursae Majoris might satisfy this criterion. Such a moon would, however, need to be large enough (>0.12 Earth masses) to retain a substantial and long-lived atmosphere, and would also need to possess a strong magnetic field in order to prevent its atmosphere from being sputtered away by the constant bombardment of energetic ions from the planet's magnetosphere.

Suggested Citation

  • Darren M. Williams & James F. Kasting & Richard A. Wade, 1997. "Habitable moons around extrasolar giant planets," Nature, Nature, vol. 385(6613), pages 234-236, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:385:y:1997:i:6613:d:10.1038_385234a0
    DOI: 10.1038/385234a0
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