Alien life could exist on arid planet

New research suggests that extraterrestrial life doesn't necessarily need water, but could thrive in harsh conditions on hot, rocky planets.

On Earth, water is an important element to sustain life for many species of animals and plants. Accordingly, many experts and scientists try to identify alien life based on the presence of water. Photo: Jose-Luis Olivares, MIT.

However, a new study by scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) shows that life can exist in places without water. Photo: dottedhippo/iStock.

Life could emerge in a completely different environment, with “ionic liquids,” on the surface of hot, rocky planets that scientists once thought were impossible, according to new research. Photo: RICHARD BIZLEY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY.

The research team led by scientist Rachana Agrawal argued that the prerequisite for life is not necessarily water but any liquid environment where metabolic processes can take place. Photo: skyatnightmagazine.

The experts focused on “ionic liquids” – liquids similar to molten salts that can maintain a stable liquid state at extremely high temperatures and extremely low pressures, the extreme conditions found on rocky planets close to their host stars. Photo: Photostock-Israel / Science Photo Library / Getty Images.

This idea came as a surprise when experts studying Venus's sulfuric acid-filled atmosphere found that a "recalcitrant liquid layer" remained after experiments. This prompted them to conduct groundbreaking experiments. Photo: NASA/Ames Research Center/Daniel Rutter.

In the lab, the team recreated conditions on rocky planets by mixing organic compounds (which are naturally found on asteroids) with sulfuric acid (a volcanic product) on basalt. The results surprised them: ionic liquids formed and remained stable at temperatures up to 180 degrees Celsius. Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI).

This proves that the solvent for life can form naturally in the universe. The discovery suggests that the “habitable zone” will no longer be limited to places with liquid water. Photo: Dawid Glawdzin.

Many exoplanets that are too hot to support life may now be potential sites for the discovery of alien life. Photo: Victor Habbick Visions / Getty Images.

Readers are invited to watch the video : Universe map with more than 900,000 stars, galaxies and black holes. Source: THĐT1.

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