Liquid water is a crucial component for life as we know it on Earth. Therefore, this discovery is seen as good news in the ongoing pursuit of extraterrestrial life, a quest that has spanned centuries.
Illustration of NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft flying above the icy moon Europa of Jupiter (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech).
Icy surfaces as keepers of liquid water
To arrive at the aforementioned discovery, a team of scientists led by Professor Lujendra Ojha studied planets found around the most common type of star in our galaxy, red dwarfs (also known as M dwarfs).
Red dwarfs are smaller and cooler than the Sun. Consequently, planets in these star systems are mostly composed of rocky material similar to Earth and are covered by an icy outer layer.
In fact, a similar process occurred on Earth billions of years ago when water on the surface froze completely. However, beneath the surface layer, a significant amount of liquid water remained. “Geothermal heat from within the Earth could warm the water enough to keep it in a liquid state,” explained Lujendra Ojha.
The researcher also believes there is evidence of ongoing heating through radiation near the southern pole of Mars. Additionally, some moons like Europa (a moon of Jupiter) or Enceladus (a moon of Saturn) could potentially harbor liquid water beneath their frozen surfaces.
Will humans soon find extraterrestrial life?
The existence of extraterrestrial life will depend on the presence of water in a specific location (Image: Getty).
One of the most feasible methods for identifying the existence of extraterrestrial beings is to search for signs of any form of life beyond Earth.
To date, this approach remains the most popular in astronomy, with the goal of exploring distant planets and star systems.
Within a certain range, humans can currently search for chemical compounds that make up life in atmospheres, analyze geological structures, or emit non-linear or optical wave patterns as a form of communication.
According to a recent model published by researchers, about one out of every 100 stars hosts a rocky planet with liquid water. With approximately 100 billion stars in our Milky Way galaxy, if we follow the aforementioned ratio, it brings great optimism about the possibility of life somewhere out there.
Based on calculations, the likelihood of finding liquid water is estimated to be 100 times higher than what we previously knew.
“This type of water could be found in places we haven’t examined closely,” said Lujendra Ojha. “In theory, this significantly increases the chances of discovering environments where life could develop.”
However, despite all efforts, the search for extraterrestrial life beyond Earth remains unsuccessful to date.