It looks like the best chances for the Solar System to produce life other than on the planet Earth isn't on a planet at all, but a moon. What makes it more interesting is that it's not just on any moon, but on Charon, the moon of our very own ex-planet, Pluto.

Scientists down at Hawaii's Gemini Telescope have discovered patches of ice crystals mixed with ammonia hydrates on the surface of Charon. Researchers, ruling out many theories on how the ice got there, concluded that the ice came from inside Charon itself, seeping out of cracks from the surface.

The process is known as cryo-volcanism, where liquid from below erupts to the surface and instantly freezes. Scientists believe that the cryo-volcanism in Charon is the result of a nuclear material inside it, causing the phenomenon. They also believe the ammonia hydrates acts as an antifreeze agent. Jason Cook, who led the research team that studied Charon's surface, explains:

Charon's surface is almost entirely water ice. So it must have a vast amount of water under the surface, and much of that should be frozen as well. Only deep inside Charon could water be a liquid. Yet, there is fresh ice on the surface, meaning that some liquid water must somehow reach the surface. The ammonia sitting on the surface provides the clue. It's the ammonia that helps keep some material liquid. It makes it all feasible. Without ammonia the water could not get out there.

Scientists are now speculating that Charon may hold life in her underbelly, with alien fish swimming its underground waters. The nuclear reactions would make this possible inside Charon, but the surface is a different matter, as it is far too cold (around -230 degrees Celsius.) It's funny to think that Pluto was named after the Roman god of the underworld, and Charon was the ferryman who took the dead to the underworld.

NASA's New Horizons probe, currently on the way to Pluto, will help scientists investigate Charon further when the probe arrives in July, 2015 to take a closer look and find more evidence.

The Pluto-bound New Horizons spacecraft will cut its travel time to the distant dwarf planet by five years thanks to a 9,000mph boost that it will get from Jupiter's gravitational field.

The spacecraft will enter the giant planet's jurisdiction on February 26. There will be no wasted time in this detour as New Horizons will make about 700 observations of Jupiter's hostile atmosphere and take photographs of its ring system. The smaller Red Spot found in the planet will also get its first close look. Before it leaves, the moons of the gas planet will also be studied.

Dr. Robert Furquhar explained that the boost is known as a gravity assist maneuver. What it does essentially is that the piano-sized space probe will enter the gravitational neighborhood of Jupiter, whiz by it in a few months and come right out carrying a greater velocity than when it came in. However, for New Horizons to accelerate, the planet must decelerate.

Approximately 1/1025 of the planet's energy will be stolen, but that doesn't matter says NASA, because the 1036 mentioned is followed by 25 zeroes, which is similar to taking away a "drop from the ocean" says Furquhar.

New Horizons will leave Jupiter at a frenetic 52,000 mph which incidentally, sets it as the record holder for the fastest-moving object ever to leave Earth. From there, it will start its trek to reach Pluto in June of 2015 before the start of the winter season in the ninth planet.

It's crucial to reach the destination before its atmosphere descends to the surface and freezes over. Pluto has an elliptical orbit unlike most of the planets, which makes for its different revolution pattern. Once New Horizons reaches Pluto, it will take photos and analyze the atmosphere and terrain, then proceed to an analysis of the three moons.

NASA's New Horizons, on its way to newly "defrocked" Pluto, sent back the first photo taken by its high-resolution camera as part of the spacecraft's equipment testing phase. The Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI)'s first image in space was star cluster Messier 7. But LORRI's real goal is to capture acquire the highest-resolution images of Pluto and its moons Charon during a flyby.

"Our hope was that LORRI's first image would prove...that LORRI was capable of providing the required high-resolution imaging of Pluto and Charon," says Andy Cheng, LORRI principal investigator. "Our hopes were not only met, but exceeded." The picture-taking was part of the spacecraft's equipment testing process where six of its other primary science instruments have already checked out.

Launched January this year, New Horizons has a long trip ahead and is expected to reach Pluto in 2015.