Planets without stars might have moons suitable for life

With the right orbit and atmosphere, such a moon might stay warm for over a billion years

A dark planet in space with no star nearby, with a galaxy distantly cutting through the background

Rogue planets (one illustrated) wander the galaxy alone rather than orbit a star. Such a planet’s gravitational action could create conditions for life to emerge on a tagalong moon, new research suggests.

Interpott.nrw/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

NOORDWIJK, THE NETHERLANDS — Life might arise in the darkest of places: the moon of a planet wandering the galaxy without a star.