Buzz
Many of us hope we’re not alone in the cosmos, but what are the realistic odds that life has ever existed, currently exists, or could exist on the planets and moons near Earth?
Julie Rossman and David Klatt from the World Science Festival provide a detailed explanation through their “Where Could Life Exist?” infographic. It identifies nine locations where scientists think life might be possible, based on evidence of water and potential energy sources that could generate heat.
The features are categorized into two groups: “hopeful” and “doubtful.” For instance, Callisto, one of Jupiter’s moons, might have an ocean beneath its icy crust, but if it exists, it’s likely a frigid body of water dependent on radioactive heat—hardly the ideal environment for life as we know it. Most of the candidates, from nearby Mars to the dwarf planet Ceres, don’t seem particularly promising for future colonization or extraterrestrial encounters. Yet, it’s intriguing to explore these possibilities, even when one of the drawbacks is a surface temperature of around 864 degrees Fahrenheit.
Image provided by Julie Rossman and David Klatt
