Our first “Earth-like” exoplanets most likely gained’t have atmospheres | by Ethan Siegel | Begins With A Bang! | Feb, 2025
Searching for life past the Photo voltaic System, we first look to the closest star methods with Earth-like planets. Right here’s why that’s not adequate.
Relating to discovering life within the Universe, there’s nonetheless just one place that we all know of that has it: proper right here on planet Earth. Nevertheless, as science has lately proven us, each the uncooked substances wanted for all times in addition to the circumstances wanted for all times to flourish are very possible ubiquitous throughout the Universe, together with proper right here in our personal Milky Means. Earth could also be very particular within the sense that we — an clever, tool-using, technologically superior civilization — have arisen on it, however for almost all of our planet’s historical past, we had been nonetheless an inhabited planet the place life arose, survived, and thrived ever since.
One key ingredient, nevertheless, that’s considered needed for all times is liquid water. All residing organisms right here on Earth depend on it, even those who stay beneath essentially the most excessive (dry, sizzling, volcanic, high-pressure, and many others.) circumstances. To date, there are solely two predominant methods identified to have liquid water on a planet or planetary physique:
- you may go down beneath the floor till there’s sufficient strain, warmth, and (probably) salinity for water to…
