An artist’s conception of the only known planets that are likely to be habitable. Image Credit: Planetary Habitability Laboratory, University of Puerto Rico, Arecibo.
When exoplanet discoveries first started rolling in, astronomers laid emphasis in finding planets within the habitable zone — the band around a star where water neither freezes nor boils. But characterizing the environment and habitability of an exoplanet doesn’t depend on the planet’s surface temperature alone.
Atmospheric pressure is just as important in gauging whether or not the surface of an exoplanet may likely hold liquid water. Anyone familiar with camping at high-altitude should have a good understanding of how pressure affects water’s boiling point.
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Read the rest of New Technique Could Measure Exoplanet Atmospheric Pressure, an Indicator of Habitability (364 words)
© Shannon Hall for Universe Today, 2014. |
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Post tags: Astrobiology, exoplanets
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