If so, promising planets may have been sterilized by solar flares or frozen in the past, which wouldn't be reflected in present-day habitable-zone calculations.
"The role of liquid water on Mars is of great importance for its habitability and this study using Mars Express describes a very large zone where groundwater was present for a long time, " said Olivier Witasse, a project scientist with ESA's Mars Express.
In order to accommodate Shanghai VW and the 30 component suppliers who have already signed up for sites, the city fathers expanded the Yizheng zone that is devoted to the auto industry from 20 square kilometers to its present size of 38.9 square kilometers.
Herman Van Rompuy, president of the European Council (representing the 27 EU leaders) will present a plan next month that is likely to include regular summits of the 17 euro-zone leaders.