Planet Habitability - Case Study Example

Name: Course: Date: Institution: Planet habitability is the measure of capabilities of planet to support in development and sustainability of life. It largely involves extrapolation earth conditions and sun and solar systems characteristics that appear to favor flourishing of life. Habitability of planets is affected by various factors which makes life bearable to both living and non-living organisms(Smith, 2007 p.550). Temperature-Temperature is important in both physiological, chemical and biological reactions in living organisms. It affects the locomotion of molecules and atoms.When temperatures are low chemical reactions are slow thus freezing water making it unavailable. High temperaturesat 125 degree celcius makes carbohydrate and protein molecules and genetic materials to break down and it also causes high evaporations. The planet experience the temperature range of minus 15 degree celcius to 115 degree celcius where water still exists thus making it habitable (Hansen &Sadler, 2009 p.212). Atmosphere-The ability of planets to hold just enough atmosphere affects its habitability. This keep the planet warm as well as keep harmful radiation out of reach. The atmosphere also provides life chemicals for example nitrogen and carbon dioxide (Kovalev, 2006 p.66). Nutrients-They are essential in body building and maintainance of the body too. There are presence of activities that enhance circulation of nutrients. For example, water cycle and volcanoes activities. This renews nutrients required by living organisms. Water-Water transports,dissolves chemicals in body cells.It’s also a component of the chemical reactions. Presence of water either in liquid form or ice caps enhance habitability of planets (Kovalev, 2006 p.66). Energy-Light and chemical energy are required for organisms’ life processes. When the energy and the chemicals that provide energy are littlethe organisms cannot exist. Too light energy causes high temperatures and causes passage of harmful rays past the ozone layer causing major problems to living organisms. The optimal presence of energy makes planets habitable as cells can carry out chemical reactions effectively and efficiently (Kovalev, 2006 p.66). It is believed there are more planets apart from those in the solar system. In our galactic neighborhood, there is presence of life sustaining conditions of planets. They are around the stars although many of them have not been discovered.These planets range from the size of the Earthto ten times greater than the Earth .This has been suggested by theories and observations too. Theseminute planets have been observed around M dwarf stars which are smaller, cooler and of lower mass than the Sun by use of the Kepler spacecraft, theestimated could be upwards of 100 billion of the earth size in the habitable areas of M dwarf (Kovalev, 2006 p.66). The Keplertelescope discovers a planet when it passes just in front of its own star, observing the dip in the starlight known as microlensing. Not all planet behave in this manner: some may be aligned in a way that they are not crossing theirstar, so some of them have not been seen yet. In the vicinity of the sun astronomers have found planet groups known as super earth’s reasons behind they can be able to support liquefied water.Many of these planets are found within 10, 20, 30 light years of the sun. One light year is the same as the distance lights moves in one year at the velocity of 300,000 kilometers’ per second or 9.45 trillion kilometers(Kovalev, 2006 p.66) It is not yet known if these planets have habitable conditions, but the distance from their host stars areknown. This distance is known as ‘habitable zone’ (HZ) also named the “Goldilocks Zone” where liquid water is present and it’s sustainable on the planet surface with the right atmospheric conditions, thus they may be habitable. The location of the habitable zone differ from one star to another. It was discovered in 1988, since then the rate of discovery has intensified.It is said there are a 1000 planetary systems (Smith, 2007 p.124) Various methods have been used to discover exoplanets; Direct imaging Planetary transit Circumstellar disks Radial velocity Gravitational microlensing The habitability of exoplanets is known by measuring the following: Earth Similarity Index (ESI) — this is from scale from 0 to 1, 1 is the most Earth-like. Standard Primary Habitability (SPH) — this is how vegetation is suitable from scale 0 to 1, 1 is the most efficient forgrowth. It differs on surface temperature(Hansen &Sadler, 2009 p.210). Habitable Zone Distance (HZD) — it is the Distance from central part of star’shabitable zone, scale1 would mean the inner edge of the zone +1 the outer edge. HZD vary with the star's luminosity, temperature and planet’s orbit size (Kovalev, 2006 p.66). Habitable Zone Composition (HZC) —it is the bulk components measurements, values that are close to zero are of iron–rock–water mixtures. Those below –1 are composed mostly of iron. The values that are greater than +1 are of gas components. HZC vary with mass and radius of the planets (Hansen &Sadler, 2009 p.211). Habitable Zone Atmosphere (HZA) — it is the ability of planets to hold habitable atmosphere, values below have little or no atmosphere at all, values above +1 are likely to havedense hydrogen atmospheres. Those that are between –1 and +1 have atmospheres that support life Planetary Class (pClass) —this classify objects according to thermal zone warm is the habitable zone (Longhurst, 2004 p.255). Habitable Class (hClass) — planets are classified based on temperature: very cold, cold, medium-temperature hot, very hot Medium temperatures isperfect for complex existence of living organism(Bonds 2004, p.395). Habitableplanetis a terrestrial within the circumstellarhabitable zone CHZ and also possessconditions that are almost comparable to those of Earth and thus are said to be potentially favorable for existence tolife(Longhurst, 2004 p.254). Only a few of them have been confirmed to be in the habitable zone the spacecraft has been used to identify.it has been discovered at least 8.8 billion planets almost of the same size as the earth are able to sustain life.NASA in the last one year has announced a number of exoplanets named asKepler-296e and Kepler-296f located in the in the habitable zones(Kovalev, 2006 p.66). Early this year NASA gave information on the 1000th confirmed exoplanet which was seen by the KeplerSpace Telescope. Three of the newly discovered were found to go round habitable zones their parent stars: two of them Kepler-438b and Kepler-442b, are almost Earth size and also rockyKepler-440b which is the third is a super-Earth. Kepler-438b-it is only slightly larger than Earth but orbits m closer to its sun and circles in 35 days. It receives light that is more percent than the earths. Light is a majora factor that contributes to habitability of living organisms: Too much of light would boil water away and little light would lead to freezing of water. The researchers have concluded thatKepler-438b has a 70 percent chance of being a rocky world like other known habitable planets for example earth, mercury(Iwata, 2013 p.805). Kepler-442b- it is about 1.34 times the earth’s planet. Itexperience about two-thirds of the earth’s light. It is said to be rocky too thus high probability off being habitable. According to their calculations, ithas favorablephysical conditions allowing presence of liquid water(Longhurst, 2004 p.255). HD 85512- it is a planet that is rocky, 3.6 times the earth’s mass.it’s found at the edge of habitable zone of its star thus capable of supporting growth and development of living organisms.it was discovered by the HARPS team, part of European Southern Observatory. Gliese-581g-it was discovered in 2010.it is said to be even more like Earth at larger extent than Kepler-22b in its ability to sustain living organisms. Its 20 light years away from planet earththus high capability to support life. Its orbital period is 37 days (Longhurst, 2004 p.255). Gliese 832 c-it was discovered in 2014 by astronomers from the University of New South Wales. It was said that it orbit in the habitable zone however outside habitable zone of the parent star. Its distance from its sun enables existence of liquid water on its surface thus habitable(Lees, 2003 p.101).  Kapteyn's star- The recent discovered is called Kapteyn and it has the right-size and support existence of liquid water on the surface. Kapteyn b is likely over two times the age of Earth and the oldest habitable planet ever known Tau ceti e-this planet is not yet confirmed. Its sun-like star that may be orbiting. Tau ceti is 11.905 light years away from the sun. From its own star it’s the fourth in the system. It’s habitable due to its earth-like as properties of the earth. For example its similarity index is 0.77 and placed by an orbit on hot inner edge of tau ceti e is zone that is habitable. Its atmosphere is almost like that of the earth and surface temperatures are around 70 degree celcius(Kovalev, 2006 p.66). Kepler-186f—this exoplanet orbits red dwarf kepler-186 in approximately 491 light years distance from the earth. Its radius is almost the same as the earth making it the first planet to be of that characteristics.it was discovered using the transit method.kepler-186f receives 32% of earth’s illumination thus it’s within the conservative zone although it is near the outer edge. This makes it almost the same as mars of the solar system. These characteristics make it suitable for life sustainability(Hansen &Sadler, 2009 p.211) HD 40307 g-it orbits the habitable zone of HD 40307.It was discovered using radial velocity method by astronomers,MikkoTuomi and GuillemAngladaEscude.It’s habitable because it lies on a zone with presence of liquid water, a component of life. It has enough atmosphere as discovered by an astronomer known as Hugh Jones from the University of Hertfordshire. It’salso said thatmuch away from its star thus it should rotate freely giving rise to proper day and night(Longhurst, 2004 p.255). Kepler-22b—it orbits G-type star kepler-22 located approximately 599 light years from planet earth. It was discovered by use of NASAS Kepler space telescope in the year 2011.It was the first transiting planet in the habitable zone of star which is like a sun. Its average distance from its parent star is less than 15% the distance of the earth from the sun. Its luminosity is 25% less than that of the sun. This combination makes it consistent with moderate surface temperatures thus can support life (Bonds 2004, p.395). References Bonds, Anne.2004,"Racing Economic Geography: The Place of Race in Economic Geography." Geography Compass (2004): 398-411. Hansen, Frank, and D. Sadler. 2009,"Approaching Human Geography: Towards New Approaches in Human Geography?" GeografiskaAnnaler. Series B, Human Geography 211. Iwata, Kazuhiko. 2013,"University Education of Geography. Actual Situation and Problems of University Education of Geography. Teaching Geography for Teacher Education." Journal of Geography (ChigakuZasshi) : 803-806. Kovalev, Sa. 2006,"A Geography of Consumption and a Geography of Services." Soviet Geography 65-73. Lees, Loretta. 2003,"Rematerializing Geography: The 'new' Urban Geography." Progress in Human Geography : 101-12. Longhurst, R. 2004"Classics in Human Geography Revisited, Women and Geography : Geography and Gender: An Introduction to Feminist Geography. London: Hutchinson." Progress in Human Geography: 253-60. Smith, N. 2007,"Geography Redux? The History and Theory of Geography." Progress in Human Geography : 547-59. Smith, N. 2007,"Early Instruction in Geography: An Exploration in the Ecology of Kindergarten and First-Grade Geography Education." Journal of Geography : 123-31. Read More

Theseminute planets have been observed around M dwarf stars which are smaller, cooler and of lower mass than the Sun by use of the Kepler spacecraft, theestimated could be upwards of 100 billion of the earth size in the habitable areas of M dwarf (Kovalev, 2006 p.66). The Keplertelescope discovers a planet when it passes just in front of its own star, observing the dip in the starlight known as microlensing. Not all planet behave in this manner: some may be aligned in a way that they are not crossing theirstar, so some of them have not been seen yet.

In the vicinity of the sun astronomers have found planet groups known as super earth’s reasons behind they can be able to support liquefied water.Many of these planets are found within 10, 20, 30 light years of the sun. One light year is the same as the distance lights moves in one year at the velocity of 300,000 kilometers’ per second or 9.45 trillion kilometers(Kovalev, 2006 p.66) It is not yet known if these planets have habitable conditions, but the distance from their host stars areknown.

This distance is known as ‘habitable zone’ (HZ) also named the “Goldilocks Zone” where liquid water is present and it’s sustainable on the planet surface with the right atmospheric conditions, thus they may be habitable. The location of the habitable zone differ from one star to another. It was discovered in 1988, since then the rate of discovery has intensified.It is said there are a 1000 planetary systems (Smith, 2007 p.124) Various methods have been used to discover exoplanets; Direct imaging Planetary transit Circumstellar disks Radial velocity Gravitational microlensing The habitability of exoplanets is known by measuring the following: Earth Similarity Index (ESI) — this is from scale from 0 to 1, 1 is the most Earth-like.

Standard Primary Habitability (SPH) — this is how vegetation is suitable from scale 0 to 1, 1 is the most efficient forgrowth. It differs on surface temperature(Hansen &Sadler, 2009 p.210). Habitable Zone Distance (HZD) — it is the Distance from central part of star’shabitable zone, scale1 would mean the inner edge of the zone +1 the outer edge. HZD vary with the star's luminosity, temperature and planet’s orbit size (Kovalev, 2006 p.66). Habitable Zone Composition (HZC) —it is the bulk components measurements, values that are close to zero are of iron–rock–water mixtures.

Those below –1 are composed mostly of iron. The values that are greater than +1 are of gas components. HZC vary with mass and radius of the planets (Hansen &Sadler, 2009 p.211). Habitable Zone Atmosphere (HZA) — it is the ability of planets to hold habitable atmosphere, values below have little or no atmosphere at all, values above +1 are likely to havedense hydrogen atmospheres. Those that are between –1 and +1 have atmospheres that support life Planetary Class (pClass) —this classify objects according to thermal zone warm is the habitable zone (Longhurst, 2004 p.255). Habitable Class (hClass) — planets are classified based on temperature: very cold, cold, medium-temperature hot, very hot Medium temperatures isperfect for complex existence of living organism(Bonds 2004, p.395). Habitableplanetis a terrestrial within the circumstellarhabitable zone CHZ and also possessconditions that are almost comparable to those of Earth and thus are said to be potentially favorable for existence tolife(Longhurst, 2004 p.254). Only a few of them have been confirmed to be in the habitable zone the spacecraft has been used to identify.

it has been discovered at least 8.8 billion planets almost of the same size as the earth are able to sustain life.NASA in the last one year has announced a number of exoplanets named asKepler-296e and Kepler-296f located in the in the habitable zones(Kovalev, 2006 p.66). Early this year NASA gave information on the 1000th confirmed exoplanet which was seen by the KeplerSpace Telescope. Three of the newly discovered were found to go round habitable zones their parent stars: two of them Kepler-438b and Kepler-442b, are almost Earth size and also rockyKepler-440b which is the third is a super-Earth.

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