Poll of the Day > Is the habitable zone just based on distance alone?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Or does the habitable zone of a star take into account its size, amount of energy it radiates, composition of the actual planet within a habitable zone?

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The latter. Habitable zone changes with size and temperature of the star.

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the "habitable zone" only applies to earth
other planets with other atmospheres harbor the possibility for an entirely different form of life

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I call planet Gliese 667Cc

This also means that Venus might still be doable with additional conditionals

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Lokarin posted...

This also means that Venus might still be doable with additional conditionals

you sho bout dat? it's out of the wacky red zone

TrueSephir0th posted...

the "habitable zone" only applies to earth
other planets with other atmospheres harbor the possibility for an entirely different form of life

Although they likely have their own habitable zones, depending on what form that life might take. Theoretically speaking.

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We dont exactly know

If other life exists we dont know if it operates the way that life as we know it does. So we just guess based on the life we are familiar with because we couldnt survive in any other situation that we find in space so far.

So its possible that any life that is out there exists by being uniquely adapted to a totally different type of environment.

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Mead posted...

We dont exactly know

If other life exists we dont know if it operates the way that life as we know it does. So we just guess based on the life we are familiar with because we couldnt survive in any other situation that we find in space so far.

So its possible that any life that is out there exists by being uniquely adapted to a totally different type of environment.

So theoretically speaking the concept of a habitable zone might be complete bs, if every other form of life out there is an extremophile and were the only form of life who live in a habitable zone

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FatalAccident posted...

So theoretically speaking the concept of a habitable zone might be complete bs, if every other form of life out there is an extremophile and were the only form of life who live in a habitable zone

yeah we cant know one way or the other unless we eventually find life from elsewhere to study and compare

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ReggieTheReckless posted...

you sho bout dat? it's out of the wacky red zone

It's out, but it's close - if non-light based life, such as organisms that grow in lava plumes, were to proliferate they wouldn't depend on the red zone for light or heat

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The habitable zone of a star is based on the liquid state of water. Life as we know it cannot exist without water.

Earth is habitable because the surface temperature allows liquid water. Venus cannot support life as we know it because water can only exist in a gaseous state. Mars is barely habitable because it is very close to the triple point of water.



Of course, bodies outside the habitable zone can have liquid water, due to things like tidal heating, radioactive decay, or pressure, or as part of a solution such as salt water or water and ammonia. And bodies in the habitable zone might not have liquid water due to lack of atmosphere or simple non-existence of water. But the "habitable zone" gives a good indication of where to look for planets that might have liquid water.

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