New life to evolve in solar system

18 Feb, 2008

Scientists studying the atmosphere and surface chemistry of Titan, the deep frozen moon of Saturn, suggest that it is emerging as the most likely place in the solar system for new life to evolve.
The team at the University College London's Mullard Space Science Laboratory said that Titan's atmosphere is soaked in a range of complex organic molecules very similar to those that led to life on Earth billions of years ago, a private TV channel reported.
They explained that though it is extremely cold for life to exist at Titan presently, this is likely to change because stars such as the sun enlarge and grow far hotter as they reach old age.
"About 4-5 billion years from now Earth will have been engulfed by the sun but the frozen outer planets are likely to be much warmer, including Titan," professor Andrew Coates told.

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