Scientists Rank Livable Worlds

Saturn moon, exoplanet top lists
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 24, 2011 8:57 AM CST
Alien Life? Scientists Rank Livable Worlds
This undated NASA handout shows Saturn's moon, Titan, in ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths.   (Getty Images)

Looking for extraterrestrials? You might want to start with Saturn’s moon Titan. Scientists have ranked it the alien world most capable of supporting life, according to a “Planetary Habitability Index,” the BBC reports. The index takes into account the planet or moon’s surface, the presence of an atmosphere, and the planet’s usable energy; both Mars and Jupiter’s moon Europa were runners-up.

Researchers also ranked planets’ life-sustaining abilities according to an “Earth Similarity Index.” That scale measured planets based on “Earth-like conditions,” says a scientist, including size and density. Topping that list was Gliese 581g, an exoplanet believed to be in the Libra constellation. Within our own solar system, Mars was rated most Earth-like, with Mercury coming in second. This weekend, scientists will launch NASA's biggest-ever Mars rover to get a closer look at the planet's habitability. (More aliens stories.)

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