Could a planet colder than Mars still host alien life
While surface temperatures on frozen worlds often drop below minus 200 degrees Fahrenheit, internal heating from gravitational friction can create vast, liquid oceans beneath miles of protective ice.
Astrobiologists believe that moons like Jupiter's Europa and Saturn's Enceladus are among the most promising places to find extraterrestrial life. Although these worlds are far colder than Mars, the intense gravitational pull from their massive host planets stretches and flexes their cores. This process, known as tidal heating, generates enough internal warmth to maintain liquid water beneath frozen shells.
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