Study Suggests Life Could Thrive Underground on Mars and Moons Due to Space Particles

A new study from NYU Abu Dhabi has found that cosmic rays could create the energy needed to support life underground on planets and moons in our solar system. The research challenges the traditional view that life can only exist near sunlight or volcanic heat. Published in the International Journal of Astrobiology, the study is led by Dimitra Atri from NYUAD's Center for Astrophysics and Space Science.

The team focused on how cosmic rays hitting water or ice underground can release electrons that some bacteria can use for energy, a process called radiolysis. Computer simulations showed that Mars and the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn could potentially support life in this way, with Enceladus having the most potential, followed by Mars and Europa.

This discovery introduces the concept of the Radiolytic Habitable Zone, focusing on places where water exists underground and can be energized by cosmic radiation. This expands the search for life beyond warm, sunlit planets to include cold, dark environments with water beneath the surface.

The findings suggest that there could be many more places in the universe where life could exist, providing new directions for future space missions to explore underground environments on Mars and the icy moons.

This research opens up exciting possibilities in the search for life beyond Earth, indicating that even the darkest, coldest places in the solar system could harbor conditions for life to survive.

According to the source: Mirage News.