Hopes of finding alien life on Jupiter have suffered a major blow.
Hopes of finding alien life on Jupiter have been reduced
Europa, the fourth-largest moon on the gas giant, has long been thought of as a potential location for extraterrestrials due to the presence of liquid water but a new study has cast doubt on its suitability for other forms of life.
Researchers at Princeton University in New Jersey have discovered that there is less oxygen on the moon's surface than expected, making it harder for cells to be able to function in the environment.
The scientists have refused to rule out the possibility of finding aliens on Europa but say there is a "narrower range to support habitability" than previously thought.
Dr. Jamey R. Szalay, the leader of the study, said: "Unless Europa's oxygen production was significantly higher in the past, the O2 production rates found here... provide a narrower range to support habitability than previous model-driven estimates."