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The definition of “habitable zone” is the distance from a star at which liquid water could exist on orbiting planets’ surfaces. Habitable zones are also known as Goldilocks’ zones, where conditions might be just right – neither too hot nor too cold – for life.
- What Is the Habitable Zone?
For a planet, the habitable zone is the distance from a star...
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For a world to have life as we know it, we understand that...
- What Is the Habitable Zone?
A "habitable zone" is the region around a star where planets can receive the perfect amount of heat to maintain liquid water on their surfaces. Because Earth is in the habitable zone of the Sun, this arrangement has informed our understanding of habitability.
Mar 10, 2021 · For a planet, the habitable zone is the distance from a star that allows liquid water to persist on its surface – as long as that planet has a suitable atmosphere. In our solar system, Earth sits comfortably inside the Sun’s habitable zone.
- NASA/JPL-Caltech/Lizbeth B. De La Torre
Aug 30, 2024 · Earth may have always lived in the Sun’s habitable zone since it formed. But a planet which begins its life in an M star’s habitable zone may find itself frozen over as the zone recedes; one born close to the star may have had its water boiled off by the time its habitable days come around.
For a world to have life as we know it, we understand that it would need liquid water on the surface, however, it might not look anything like Earth. The planet would most likely exist in the “habitable zone” of the star it orbits, where it is neither too close nor too far from its star.
Following [5, 6], it is helpful to define four classes of potentially habitable planets. Class I habitats maintain liquid water on the surface and are exposed to light form the host star. Earth is an example of a Class I habitat. A Class II habitat begins with surface water, but loses it within a few billion years. Mars and Venus are in Class II.
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Out of all the planets, moons, asteroids, and comets in our solar system, only Earth has liquid water on the surface and is capable of supporting life—at least as far as we know. That’s because our planet sits in the “habitable zone” of our solar system.