NASA's Roman Space Telescope to search Milky Way for habitable moons

Astronomers are preparing to use the recently launched Roman Space Telescope to scan the Milky Way for potentially habitable moons, known as exomoons. Professor B. Scott Gaudi, who leads NASA’s Roman Galactic Exoplanet Survey, suggests the galaxy may contain trillions of such moons, with some situated in temperate zones conducive to life.

During the upcoming galactic survey, which utilizes an advanced high-powered camera, researchers predict the discovery of up to 200,000 planets. This search includes free-floating planets and moons that have been ejected from their original star systems.

Gaudi, a professor at The Ohio State University, noted that the presence of a moon can significantly impact the habitability of its host planet. He cited Earth’s Moon as an example, explaining that it stabilizes the planet's axial spin, preventing radical climate shifts that could otherwise make a planet less habitable.