Editing Terraforming (section)

===Other bodies in the Solar System===
{{see also|Colonization of the asteroid belt|Colonization of Europa (moon)|label 2=Colonization of Europa|Colonization of Callisto|Colonization of Titan|Colonization of Ceres|Colonization of trans-Neptunian objects|Colonization of the outer Solar System}}

Other possible candidates for terraforming (possibly only partial or paraterraforming) include large moons of Jupiter or Saturn ([[Europa (moon)|Europa]], [[Ganymede (moon)|Ganymede]], [[Callisto (moon)|Callisto]], [[Enceladus]], [[Titan (moon)|Titan]]), and the dwarf planet [[Ceres (dwarf planet)|Ceres]].

The moons are covered in ice, so heating them would make some of this ice sublimate into an atmosphere of water vapour, ammonia and other gases.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Matt |date=2016-04-22 |title=How Do We Terraform Jupiter's Moons? |url=https://www.universetoday.com/128530/how-do-we-terraform-jupiters-moons/ |access-date=2023-12-08 |website=Universe Today |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Matt |date=2016-04-27 |title=How Do We Terraform Saturn's Moons? |url=https://www.universetoday.com/128532/terraform-saturns-moons/ |access-date=2023-12-12 |website=Universe Today |language=en-US}}</ref> For Jupiter's moons, the intense radiation around Jupiter would cause [[radiolysis]] of water vapour, splitting it into hydrogen and oxygen.<ref name=":02" /> The former would be rapidly lost to space, leaving behind the oxygen (this already occurs on the moons to a minor extent, giving them thin atmospheres of oxygen).<ref name=":02" /> For Saturn's moons, the water vapour could be split by using orbital mirrors to focus sunlight, causing [[photolysis]].<ref name=":5" /> The ammonia could be converted to nitrogen by introducing bacteria such as ''[[Nitrosomonas]]'', ''[[Pseudomonas]]'' and ''[[Clostridium]]'', resulting in an Earth-like nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere.<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":5" /> This atmosphere would protect the surface from Jupiter's radiation,<ref name=":4" /> but it would also be possible to clear said radiation using orbiting tethers<ref name="mirnov1996">{{cite journal |last1=Mirnov |first1=Vladimir |last2=Üçer |first2=Defne |last3=Danilov |first3=Valentin |author-link3=Valentin Danilov |date=November 10–15, 1996 |title=High-Voltage Tethers For Enhanced Particle Scattering In Van Allen Belts |journal=APS Division of Plasma Physics Meeting Abstracts |volume=38 |pages=7 |bibcode=1996APS..DPP..7E06M |oclc=205379064 |id=Abstract #7E.06}}</ref> or radio waves.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NASA Finds Lightning Clears Safe Zone in Earth's Radiation Belt - NASA |url=https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-finds-lightning-clears-safe-zone-in-earths-radiation-belt/ |access-date=2023-12-11 |language=en-US}}</ref>

Challenges to terraforming the moons include their high amounts of ice and their low gravity.<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":5" /> If all of the ice were fully melted, it would result in deep moon-spanning oceans, meaning any settlements would have to be floating (unless some of the ice was allowed to remain, to serve as land).<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":5" /> Low gravity would cause [[atmospheric escape]] over time and may cause [[Effect of spaceflight on the human body#Weightlessness|problems for human health]]. However, atmospheric escape would take place over spans of time that are long compared to human lifespans, as with the Moon.<ref name="landis1990" />

One proposal for terraforming Ceres would involve heating it (using orbital mirrors, detonating thermonuclear devices or colliding small asteroids with Ceres), creating an atmosphere and deep ocean.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Matt |date=2016-05-05 |title=How Do We Terraform Ceres? |url=https://www.universetoday.com/128711/how-do-we-terraform-ceres/ |access-date=2023-12-12 |website=Universe Today |language=en-US}}</ref> However, this appears to be based on a misconception that Ceres' surface is icy in a similar way to the gas giant moons. In reality, Ceres' surface is "a layer of mixed ice, silicates and light strong phases best matched by hydrated salts and clathrates".<ref name="EPSC">{{Cite book |last1=Raymond |first1=C. |title=European Planetary Science Congress |last2=Castillo-Rogez |first2=J. C. |last3=Park |first3=R. S. |last4=Ermakov |first4=A. |last5=Bland |first5=M. T. |last6=Marchi |first6=S. |last7=Prettyman |first7=T. |last8=Ammannito |first8=E. |last9=De Sanctis |first9=M. C. |date=September 2018 |volume=12 |chapter=Dawn Data Reveal Ceres' Complex Crustal Evolution |display-authors=4 |access-date=19 July 2020 |chapter-url=https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC2018/EPSC2018-645-1.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200130111631/https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC2018/EPSC2018-645-1.pdf |archive-date=30 January 2020 |url-status=live |author10=Russell, C.T.}}</ref> It is unclear what the result of heating this up would be.