What Makes a Planet Habitable or Not?

A planet needs the right temperature to be habitable. Imagine Earth as a cozy room, if it were too hot like Venus, or too cold like Mars, we wouldn’t be able to live there.

The Goldilocks Rule

Planets that are just right in distance from their star have a good chance of being habitable. This is sometimes called the Goldilocks Zone, not too hot, not too cold, just right for water and life to exist.

Atmosphere Matters Too

If a planet has no atmosphere or the wrong kind of air, it can't hold onto its warmth or liquid water, like how Earth would be frozen if we had no blanket of air around us.

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Examples

  1. A planet that is too close to its star becomes like a baking tray, way too hot for life.
  2. Imagine living in a snowstorm with no shelter; that's what it’s like on a planet without an atmosphere or the right kind of air.
  3. Earth has the perfect recipe for life: just enough warmth, the right air, and plenty of water.

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Categories: Space · habitable zone,planets,life beyond earth