"Europa is unique in our solar system," says Greeley. "It's a rocky object a little smaller than our Moon, and it's covered with a layer of water 100 miles deep." This holds more water than all the oceans on Earth, he explains. Greeley adds that Europa also has the two other basic ingredients of life -- organic chemistry and a source of energy.

Scientists have identified four candidate worlds beyond Earth that might contain life, either now or in the past, Greeley says. These four are Mars, Saturn's moons Titan and Enceladus, and Jupiter's moon Europa.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/...70220150353.htm



PASADENA, Calif., Feb. 21 (UPI) -- NASA says it has, for the first time, identified signatures of molecules in the atmospheres of planets located outside the solar system.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?...asa-planets.xml