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Space
Space
Science
Sharmila Kuthunur

No sun, no problem? How life could thrive on moons of starless 'rogue' planets

Artist's illustration of a free-floating "rogue" planet and its Earth-like moon.

Moons orbiting starless "rogue" planets could stay warm enough to host liquid water for billions of years, a new study suggests, potentially creating long-lived habitats for life in the depths of space.

Using computer models, researchers found that temperatures on an Earth-size moon orbiting a Jupiter-like rogue planet could remain warm enough to support liquid water on its surface for up to 4.3 billion years — nearly as long as Earth has existed.

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