< Extraterrestrial Life

Below, the requirements are listed.

Star

For a star to be able to host habitable planets, it must:

  • have a life span of at least one billion years.
  • not be a flare star.
  • not be too close to a cosmic explosion, such as a supernova

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Planet

For a planet to be habitable, it must:

  • have a temperature that stays between -15°C, below which chemicals start reacting too slowly for life to occur and water freezes, and 115°C, above which protein and carbohydrate molecules, as well as genetic material, start to decompose and water evaporates.
  • be at just the right distance from the star so it gets enough energy from the star.
  • have continuous liquid water on its surface.
  • enough mass for radioactive heating, which allows for geological activity.
  • a thick atmosphere to protect the planet, stabilize its climate, and provide sufficient pressure to hold liquid water. However, it must not be so thick that it creates a greenhouse effect that makes the planet too hot.
  • not be too close to massive planets which can divert asteroids towards or strongly perturb its orbit.
  • have a massive planet well outside of its orbit that diverts dangerously large asteroids away from it.

This section is unfinished.

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