Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Habitable moons around extrasolar giant planets

D M Williams1, J F Kasting, R A Wade

  • 1Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802, USA. dwilliams@astro.psu.edu

Nature
|January 16, 1997
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Statistical Combination of ATLAS Run 2 Searches for Charginos and Neutralinos at the LHC.

Physical review letters·2024
Same author

Combination of Measurements of the Top Quark Mass from Data Collected by the ATLAS and CMS Experiments at sqrt[s]=7 and 8 TeV.

Physical review letters·2024
Same author

Combination of Searches for Resonant Higgs Boson Pair Production Using pp Collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV with the ATLAS Detector.

Physical review letters·2024
Same author

Search for Nearly Mass-Degenerate Higgsinos Using Low-Momentum Mildly Displaced Tracks in pp Collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV with the ATLAS Detector.

Physical review letters·2024
Same author

Azimuthal Angle Correlations of Muons Produced via Heavy-Flavor Decays in 5.02 TeV Pb+Pb and pp Collisions with the ATLAS Detector.

Physical review letters·2024
Same author

Study of High-Transverse-Momentum Higgs Boson Production in Association with a Vector Boson in the qqbb Final State with the ATLAS Detector.

Physical review letters·2024
Same journal

Daily briefing: 'Cyborg' cockroaches breathe underwater with printed suit.

Nature·2026
Same journal

China boosts prestigious grants for young scientists - will it ease competition?

Nature·2026
Same journal

Incoming US science academy chief vows to 'double down' on research.

Nature·2026
Same journal

Author Correction: Synthesis of enantioenriched atropisomers by biocatalytic deracemization.

Nature·2026
Same journal

Electrodeposited self-assembled molecules for perovskite photovoltaics.

Nature·2026
Same journal

Neutrino's nursery found: the 'Shadow Blaster'.

Nature·2026
See all related articles

Rocky moons orbiting gas giants could support life if within a star's habitable zone. These exomoons require sufficient mass and a magnetic field to maintain a life-supporting atmosphere.

Area of Science:

  • Exoplanetary science
  • Astrobiology
  • Planetary geology

Background:

  • Numerous massive planetary objects, including gas giants and brown dwarfs, have been discovered orbiting main-sequence stars.
  • These objects, with masses at least half that of Jupiter, are generally considered inhospitable to life due to their lack of solid or liquid surfaces.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential habitability of rocky moons orbiting massive exoplanets or brown dwarfs.
  • To identify conditions under which such exomoons could support life, particularly the presence of liquid water.

Main Methods:

  • Theoretical analysis of exoplanetary system dynamics and orbital mechanics.
  • Modeling of exomoon atmospheric retention and magnetic field requirements.
Keywords:
NASA Discipline ExobiologyNon-NASA Center

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Rocky moons orbiting massive companions within a star's habitable zone could potentially harbor liquid water.
  • The exomoons 16 Cygni B b and 47 Ursae Majoris b are identified as potential candidates satisfying orbital criteria.
  • Exomoons must exceed 0.12 Earth masses to retain a substantial atmosphere and possess a strong magnetic field to protect it.

Conclusions:

  • The possibility of habitable exomoons orbiting gas giants or brown dwarfs warrants further investigation.
  • Future research should focus on detecting and characterizing exomoons with the necessary attributes for habitability.
  • The discovery of habitable exomoons would significantly expand the search for extraterrestrial life.