"If astronomers can't travel to the stars yet, how do they know anything about them?"
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Question
Which are the condition for a planet to support life and how we can determine the habital zone and what means this habital zone? Thanks!
Astrobiologists look for three things that are required for a habitable environment: (1) liquid water, (2) usable energy source (such as sunlight for photosynthesis), and (3) organic (carbon-based) chemicals. Initially the habitable zone was defined in terms of the distance of a planet from the Sun such that liquid water was possible on its surface. More recently it is clear that this is too simplistic. (1) Stars change luminosity over time, so the habitable zone shifts. (2) The surface temperature also depends on the atmosphere and greenhouse effect of a planet, not just its distance from the Sun. (3) There may be habitable zones with liquid water below the surface, even if the surface is frozen. (4) Moons of major planets me be habitable (such as Jupiter's moon Europa) even when the big planet is not. You can find lots more information on this website if you search on the terms "habitability" or "habitable zone". David Morrison
NAI Senior Scientist
February 21, 2008
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