Monday, November 10, 2025

Never Mind Rogue Planets. Their Rogue Moons Could Support Life

An artist's illustration of an Earth-mass rogue planet drifting through space. New research shows that rogue planets sent off into space by a supernova explosion could retain their moons. Tidal heating may make some of these moons habitable. Image Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

When massive stars explode as supernovae, the powerful blast can send planets off into space where they drift as rogue or free-floating planets. But what happens to their moons? Can their natural satellites stay bound to these planets, and could tidal heating be a viable source of energy to fuel life on these moons?



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