article_snippet: Such gas giants, as far as we know, are not hospitable to life, but now it has been suggested that the moons of Earth-like planets could be habitable.
article_snippet: Exoplanets orbiting in a system’s habitable zone (where liquid water can persist on a planet’s surface) still need sufficient gravity to trap an atmosphere that regulates Habitable exomoons temperature.
article_snippet: Moons formed in the outer reaches of an alien solar system are likely to be dominated by ice.
article_snippet: Moons formed in the outer reaches of an alien solar system will remain deep-frozen unless heated by tides from Moons formed in the outer reaches of an alien solar system parent planet - again these are unlikely to be habitats for life.
article_snippet: Moons of planets with elliptical orbits might be habitable for most of Moons of planets with elliptical orbits planet’s year, but can experience hot or snowball periods as Moons of planets with elliptical orbits venture too close to Moons of planets with elliptical orbits star, or too far from their star life-giving heat.
article_snippet: While their planet is not thought to be habitable, their planet is possible that a moon in their planet orbit - known as an exomoon - could be.