What Makes a World Habitable?

Use this table to identify the factors (and the appropriate levels) that will enable you to design your habitable worlds.
Factors that
Too Much of the Situation in the Solar
make a Planet Not Enough of the Just Right
Factor System
Habitable Factor
Low temperatures cause At about 125oC, protein Surface: Only Earth’s
Life seems limited to a
chemicals to react slowly, and carbohydrate surface is in this
Temperature temperature range of
which interferes with the molecules and genetic temperature range.
Influences how minus 15oC to 115oC. In
reactions necessary for material (e.g., DNA and Sub-surface: The interior
quickly atoms & this range, liquid water
life. Also low temperatures RNA) start to break apart. of the solid planets &
molecules move can still exist under
freeze water, making liquid Also, high temperatures moons may be in this
certain conditions.
water unavailable. quickly evaporate water. temperature range.
Surface: Only Earth’s
surface has water, though
Mars once had surface
water and still has water ice
Water in its polar ice caps.
Water is regularly
Too much water is not a Saturn’s moon, Titan,
Dissolves & The chemicals a cell available. Life can go
problem, as long as it is seems to be covered with
transports needs for energy & growth dormant between wet
not so toxic that it liquid methane.
chemicals within are not dissolved or periods, but, eventually,
interferes with the Sub-surface: Mars & some
and to and from a transported to the cell water needs to be
chemistry of life moons have deposits of
cell available.
underground ice, which
might melt to produce
water. Europa, has a vast
oceans beneath its outer
shell if ice.
Atmosphere
Traps heat,
Earth & Venus are the
shields the Small planets and moons Venus’s atmosphere is Of the solid planets &
right size to hold a
surface from have insufficient gravity to 100 times thicker than moons, only Earth, Venus,
sufficient-sized
harmful hold an atmosphere. The Earth’s. It is made almost & Titan have significant
atmosphere. Earth’s
radiation, and gas molecules escape to entirely of greenhouse atmospheres. Mars’
atmosphere is about 100
provides space, leaving the planet gasses, making the atmosphere is about 1/100th
miles thick. It keeps the
chemicals or moon without an surface too hot for life. that of Earth’s, too small for
surface warm & protects it
needed for life, insulating blanket or a The four giant planets are significant insulation or
from radiation & small- to
such as nitrogen protective shield. completely made of gas. shielding.
medium-sized meteorites.
and carbon
dioxide.
Energy Light energy is a problem
Surface: The inner planets
When there is too little
Organisms use With a steady input of if it makes a planet too
get too much sunlight for
sunlight or too few of the
light or chemical either light or chemical hot or if there are toolife. The outer planets get
chemicals that provide
energy to run energy, cells can run many harmful rays, suchtoo little.
energy to cells, such as
their life the chemical reactions as ultraviolet. Too many
Sub-surface: Most solid
iron or sulfur, organisms
processes. necessary for life. energyrich chemicals isplanets & moons have
die.
not a problem energy-rich chemicals.
Without chemicals to make Surface: Earth has a water
proteins & carbohydrates, All solid planets & moons cycle, an atmosphere, and
organisms cannot grow. have the same general Too many nutrients are volcanoes to circulate
Planets without systems to chemical makeup, so not a problem. However, nutrients. Venus, Titan, Io,
deliver nutrients to its nutrients are present. too active a circulation and Mars have nutrients
Nutrients organisms Those with a water cycle system, such as the and ways to circulate them
Used to build and (e.g., a water cycle or or volcanic activity can constant volcanism on to organisms. Sub-
maintain an transport and replenish the Jupiter’s moon, Io, or the surface: Any planet or
organism’s body. volcanic activity) cannot chemicals required by churning atmospheres of moon with sub-surface
support life. Also, when the gas planets, interferes water or molten rock can
living organisms.
nutrients are spread so thin with an organism’s ability circulate and replenish
that they are hard to obtain, to get enough nutrients. nutrients for organisms.
such as on a gas planet, life
cannot exist.
Understanding Planet Earth
Compare and Contrast

VENUS EARTH MARS

Mass (1024kg) 4.87 5.97 0.642
Diameter (km) 12,104 12,756 6792
Density (kg/m3) 5243 5514 3933
Gravity (m/s2) 8.9 9.8 3.7
Escape Velocity (km/s) 10.4 11.2 5
Surface pressure (bars) 92 1 0.01
Composition of atmosphere 96% CO2, 3.5% N 77%N, 21% O2, 1%Ar 95%CO2, 2.7%N, 1.6%Ar
Major Greenhouse Gases(GHG) CO2 CO2 H2O CO2
Mean Temperature (0C) 464 15 -65
Temperature if no greenhouse gases are -46 -18 -57
present

Changes in Temperature (0C) due to +523 +33 +10

greenhouse gases

Distance from the Sun (106km) 108.2 149.6 227.9

Orbital Period (days) 224.7 365.2 687
Orbital Velocity (km/s) 35 29.8 24.1
Length of day (hours) 2802 24 24.7
Global Magnetic Field No Yes No

1. Based on the picture and information given above, give at least two (2) similarities and differences among the
terrestrial planets.
2. Of the three terrestrial planets (Venus, Earth, and Mars), which is the hottest?
3. Which factors/characteristics influence the planet’s temperature?
4. How is planet Earth similar and different from Venus and Mars? Provide possible explanations
for your observations using the information in the table.