the journal of literature and the arts at saint david’ s school
radiation can strip atmospheres, making it harder to survive. Hotter stars also emit UV light, x-rays, gamma rays, and more.
As a result, the amount of heat a star gives off can change where the habitable zone is for a specific star. The habitable zone is the distance a planet can be from its star while still having liquid water. Secondly, an exoplanet being in the habitable zone matters for the possibility of life. That’ s because, as far as we know, having water is necessary for all life. If the exoplanet is too close to its star, the chance of it having liquid water is close to none because the water will evaporate. If it’ s too far away, the water would freeze. Similar to Goldilocks, an exoplanet needs a“ just right” distance to be a good zone for life. Thirdly, the type of exoplanet affects habitability. Some planets are made up of gas, which are called gas giants because they don’ t have a solid surface for life to exist, like Jupiter. Would you really want to live on a planet where you couldn’ t stand on your own two feet?
On the other hand, some planets are rocky, like Earth. These are called terrestrial planets. Because of their solid surfaces, terrestrial planets have greater odds of being habitable since they can support an atmosphere and hold water. There are many other types of planets, but terrestrial planets are most likely to host life, if they are in the habitable zone relative to their stars. Lastly, the presence and composition of an exoplanet’ s atmosphere affects how habitable it is. The type and density of molecules in the atmosphere determine how much sunlight reaches the planet. Bringing it back to Goldilocks, remember we want the“ just right” amount of sunlight. So we’ ll need a balance where we still get some sunlight, but not too much, so water won’ t freeze or evaporate. Now, I will pass the torch to Brooks Brown, who will talk about what exoplanets can help us learn about the formation and diversity of planetary systems.
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