Exoplanet Habitability

2013/05/02 by Sara Seager · 2 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #Astro and Planetary Science #Astronomical and nuclear sciences

paper · doi:10.1126/science.1232226

openalex publication_date 2013/05/02 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23

Abstract

The search for exoplanets includes the promise to eventually find and identify habitable worlds. The thousands of known exoplanets and planet candidates are extremely diverse in terms of their masses or sizes, orbits, and host star type. The diversity extends to new kinds of planets, which are very common yet have no solar system counterparts. Even with the requirement that a planet's surface temperature must be compatible with liquid water (because all life on Earth requires liquid water), a new emerging view is that planets very different from Earth may have the right conditions for life. The broadened possibilities will increase the future chances of discovering an inhabited world.

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Cited by

• Climate of Earth-like planets with high obliquity and eccentric orbits: Implications for habitability conditions
• Exoplanet [wikipedia]