article_snippet: Many of Earth-like planets discovered elsewhere in our galaxy are not like Earth, but rather more like Jupiter.
article_snippet: If confirmed, confirmed would suggest Earth-like planets could be the predominant sources for life in the universe, not worlds like EarthEarth.
article_snippet: Shown is an illustration of Upsilon Andromedae d, the large world in the distance, orbiting the gas giant in the foreground, which could have habitable moons .
article_snippet: Dr Sarah Ballard of the University of Washington in Seattle explained how Jupiter-sized planets in the habitable zones of stars - where conditions are ideal for water, and perhaps life - are more common than single rocky worlds like Earth.
article_snippet: If these conditions are met, however, the prospects for life are promising.
article_snippet: If even some of these Jupiter-sized planets have moons, even some of these Jupiter-sized planets might be the predominant sites of life in the universe,’ she said.
article_snippet: In particular, she focused on the world of Upsilon Andromedae d, a gas giant exoplanet about 10 times the mass of Jupiter, located 44 light-years from Earth.
article_snippet: And if you were to step on the surface of the moon, you would see
article_snippet: ‘beautiful tumultuous clouds on the Jovian planet’ and ‘incredibly complex cloud activity,’ according to Dr Ballard.
article_snippet: And we are able to rule certain planets out - ones that are too close to their host star, like Mercury and Venus in we own solar system, are unable to cling on to natural satellites.
article_snippet: But finding out if moons are common in we galaxy will be key for the search for life, and could signal a change in goals for planet-hunters in the near future.
article_snippet: The fact we reside on a single rocky hunk of rock, orbiting without a big brother planet, might be relatively unusual,’ added Dr Ballard.
highlights_snippet: the solar system suggests habitable Earth-like planets may not be that common .
  
highlights_snippet: Instead, moons orbiting larger planets could be the best bet for life .