Planetary habitability

"Habitable planet" redirects here. For a list of potentially habitable planets found to date, see List of potentially habitable exoplanets.

Understanding planetary habitability is partly an extrapolation of the conditions on Earth, as this is the only planet known to support life.

Planetary habitability is the measure of a planet's or a natural satellite's potential to develop and maintain environments hospitable to life.[1] Life may be generated directly on a planet or satellite endogenously or be transferred to it from another body, through a hypothetical process known as panspermia.[2] Environments do not need to contain life to be considered habitable nor are accepted habitable zones (HZ) the only areas in which life might arise.[3]

As the existence of life beyond Earth is unknown, planetary habitability is largely an extrapolation of conditions on Earth and the characteristics of the Sun and Solar System which appear favorable to life's flourishing.[4] Of particular interest are those factors that have sustained complex, multicellular organisms on Earth and not just simpler, unicellular creatures. Research and theory in this regard is a component of a number of natural sciences, such as astronomy, planetary science and the emerging discipline of astrobiology.

An absolute requirement for life is an energy source, and the notion of planetary habitability implies that many other geophysical, geochemical, and astrophysical criteria must be met before an astronomical body can support life. In its astrobiology roadmap, NASA has defined the principal habitability criteria as "extended regions of liquid water,[1] conditions favorable for the assembly of complex organic molecules, and energy sources to sustain metabolism".[5] In August 2018, researchers reported that water worlds could support life.[6][7]

Habitability indicators and biosignatures must be interpreted within a planetary and environmental context.[2] In determining the habitability potential of a body, studies focus on its bulk composition, orbital properties, atmosphere, and potential chemical interactions. Stellar characteristics of importance include mass and luminosity, stable variability, and high metallicity. Rocky, wet terrestrial-type planets and moons with the potential for Earth-like chemistry are a primary focus of astrobiological research, although more speculative habitability theories occasionally examine alternative biochemistries and other types of astronomical bodies.

  1. ^ a b Dyches, Preston; Chou, Felcia (7 April 2015). "The Solar System and Beyond is Awash in Water". NASA. Archived from the original on 10 April 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  2. ^ a b NASA (October 2015), NASA Astrobiology Strategy (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on 18 November 2016
  3. ^ Seager, Sara (2013). "Exoplanet Habitability". Science. 340 (577): 577–581. Bibcode:2013Sci...340..577S. doi:10.1126/science.1232226. PMID 23641111. S2CID 206546351.
  4. ^ Costanza, Robert; Bernard, C. Patten (December 1995). "Defining and predicting sustainability". Ecological Economics. 15 (3): 193–196. Bibcode:1995EcoEc..15..193C. doi:10.1016/0921-8009(95)00048-8.
  5. ^ "Goal 1: Understand the nature and distribution of habitable environments in the Universe". Astrobiology: Roadmap. NASA. Archived from the original on 17 January 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2007.
  6. ^ Staff (1 September 2018). "Water worlds could support life, study says – Analysis by UChicago, Penn State scientists challenges idea that life requires 'Earth clone'". EurekAlert. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  7. ^ Kite, Edwin S.; Ford, Eric B. (31 August 2018). "Habitability of Exoplanet Waterworlds". The Astrophysical Journal. 864 (1): 75. arXiv:1801.00748. Bibcode:2018ApJ...864...75K. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aad6e0. S2CID 46991835.