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Planetary Habitability

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Planetary Habitability

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Planetary Evaluation for Human Habitability in the Farrar System

Kenan Abella, Keith Amago Sumpay, Elizah Claire Abibiason,

Janine De La Paz, Alexander Cesar Dingcong,

Jathniel Rodero

Senior High School, Trinity Christian School

Earth Science: Planetary Habitability

Kathryn Federez

September 15, 2023

Planetary Evaluation for Human Habitability


Obtaining a habitable planet and life in the universe involves much more than just

looking for life, it also entails looking for a planet in a solar system that can support life. It must

be in the solar system's habitable zone and have everything a planet needs to be livable. It needs

to be at a place where life can develop during the course of its lifecycle. It must be populated by

living things that can evolve.

Planetary habitability is mostly predicted from conditions of a planet and the attributes of

the Sun and Solar System. The total need of life is energy source, also according to our solar

system, life requires liquid water, and nutrition as well. When analyzing a body's habitability

potential, it should observe its overall composition, temperature, atmosphere, and possible

chemical interactions (Davies, 2014).

The ability of a planet to support life for an extended amount of time is the clarity of a

habitable planet. It is determined by its level to sustain any living form. It is possible for life to

either originate directly on a planet or orbit or to be transported there from another body. The

idea of habitability for other planets can be applied widely, such as in our estimations of the

possibility and distribution of life elsewhere or as a valuable tool in mission planning and target

prioritization for the hunt for extrasolar life (Adkins, 2023).

Habitable Planet in the Farrar System

Planet 4

Planet 4 has 1.5 mass with Active volcanoes and seismic activity detected. Its atmosphere

has nitrogen gas, oxygen gas, and ozone layer. This planet is a cold ocean covered with ice along

much of the globe and some open water around the equator, and its average temperature is 20

degrees.
For many people, 20 degrees Celsius is perfect weather. According to an article entitled

“What Country Is 20 Degrees All Year Round?” by BetterWhere (2023), places that have such a

climate year round are sometimes defined as having “mild weather” or “temperate weather.” It’s

not cold but it’s not hot, either. If you add to that sunshine, 20 degrees results in comfortable

conditions for a t-shirt and shorts, without sweating.

Gasses like oxygen, ozone, and nitrogen oxide are essential for life as we know it. Since

oxygen and nitrogen are necessary for most creatures to breathe, they are fundamental

components of the Earth's atmosphere. The protective ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun are

partially blocked by the ozone layer. Seismic activity and active volcanoes suggest that this

planet may have a dynamic environment with a range of geological formations. It's important to

remember that, despite the fact that all of these indications suggest that the planet might be

habitable, further study and exploration would be necessary to determine whether it can actually

support life.

Uninhabitable Planets in the Farrar System

Planet 1

There are several factors that make Planet 1 uninhabitable. Such factors are the

following. Extreme Temperature: an average temperature of 651 degrees Celsius is far too hot to

support life as we know it. Most organisms on Earth cannot survive at such high temperatures.

Another factor is the Thin Atmosphere: the thin atmosphere composed of carbon dioxide,

nitrogen gas, and water would not provide the necessary oxygen for humans or other oxygen-

dependent life forms to breathe. Another addition is the Lack of Visible Surface: the thick cloud

cover and absence of a visible surface could indicate a hostile environment with high levels of
atmospheric pressure, further making it unsuitable for life. Lastly, Active Volcanoes and Seismic

Activity: these geological activities suggest a turbulent and potentially dangerous environment,

making it challenging for life to thrive. Overall, the combination of extreme temperature, a thin

and inhospitable atmosphere, and hostile geological conditions makes this planet inhospitable for

human or most known forms of life (Choi & Dobrijevic, 2023).

Planet 6

Planet 6 is inhospitable due to several factors, as supported by scientific observations.

First, its status as a gas giant renders it unsuitable for habitation. The planet primarily consists of

gasses like hydrogen and helium, lacking a solid surface for humans to inhabit.

Moreover, the presence of a large moon does not improve its habitability. Such a moon

can create strong gravitational forces and tidal effects, potentially disrupting any potential

habitats.

Furthermore, the moons themselves lack appreciable atmospheres, leaving them

unprotected against harmful cosmic radiation and extreme temperature fluctuations. This absence

of a protective atmosphere makes it extremely challenging for life to exist on these moons

Even the detection of ice on one of the moons indicates extremely cold conditions. This ice may

not be in a form conducive to supporting life, and the absence of a suitable atmosphere

exacerbates the challenges organisms would face in trying to thrive there

Contrastingly, the inhospitality of Planet 6 is further reinforced by its attributes. Its

massive size, active volcanoes, and seismic activity, as well as its thin atmosphere primarily

composed of carbon dioxide, nitrogen gas, and water, contribute to an uninhabitable

environment. The average temperature of 651 degrees Celsius further solidifies its status as a
hostile environment, and the thick cloud cover prevents any visibility of a habitable surface

(Barnett, 2023).

Planet 7

Planet 7 is the farthest from the star, a gas giant with two large moons. Moon 1 has a

thick methane atmosphere with pressure high enough to keep a potential methane ocean liquid

underneath, with a temperature of -200 degrees celsius. Moon 2 is covered in water ice, ice

appears cracked and refrozen in parts, indicating a potential liquid underneath, with a

temperature of -100 degrees celsius.

Once things settled, life would be very different. Light at night would be much brighter

with two full moons, and we would have fewer hours of real darkness. The consequences of a

second moon orbiting the planet Earth on how massive that moon is and how far from the Earth

it orbits. The most obvious effect would be that the ocean tides would be altered. Tides could be

either smaller or higher and there could be more than two high tides per day. If the gravitational

influence of a second moon were extreme, it could lead to phenomenally huge ocean tides (up to

a kilometer high) which would also result in frequent tsunamis. It could also lead to enhanced

volcanic activity and earthquakes (Gunn, 2023).

This planet is uninhabitable primarily due to extreme cold temperatures on both of its

moons. Moon 1 has an average temperature of -200 degrees Celsius, while Moon 2's average

temperature is -100 degrees Celsius. These frigid temperatures make it extremely challenging for

any form of life as we know it to survive. Additionally, the thick methane atmosphere on Moon 1

and the icy conditions on Moon 2 further limit the potential for habitability. The lack of a stable,
moderate temperature range, essential elements, and harsh surface conditions contribute to the

inhospitable nature of this planet's moons.

Conclusion

Planet 4 is habitable, because it provides oxygen for land creatures to breathe, it has

liveable temperatures for creatures to exist at about an average of 20 degrees celsius. It is the

perfect distance from the Sun, it is protected from harmful solar radiation by its magnetic field, it

is kept warm by an insulating atmosphere, and it has the right chemical ingredients for life,

including water and carbon.

Planet 1,6 and 7 are considered uninhabitable for specific reasons. Some factors that

make a planet unsuitable for life include high temperatures, such as being too hot or too cold,

lack of a stable atmosphere or oxygen, high levels of radiation, lack of liquid water, and extreme

geological activity like frequent volcanic eruptions or earthquakes. Additionally, the presence of

toxic substances or an inhospitable surface can also make a planet uninhabitable. It depends on

the requirements of life as we know it on Earth (Schilling, 2021).

References
Adkins, J. (2023, August 31). Seller Exoplanet Environments Collaboration. What makes

a planet habitable? https://seec.gsfc.nasa.gov/what_makes_a_planet_habitable.html?

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sUgZ4UhErxWr_q0ocmMxd8

Barnett, A. (2023, September 8). Solar System Exploration. How Many Moon Are There

in the Solar System? https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/overview/?

fbclid=IwAR2avUiCTm-L9Kb3zz344dJgfXeNnCgDBraWqY_5BrpuTV4ETqs_3s40rpw

Better Where. (2023). What Country Is 20 Degrees All Year Round?

https://www.betterwhere.com/what-country-is-20-degrees-all-year-round/?

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Choi, C. Q., & Dobrijevic, D. (2023, June 09). SPACE. Mercury: Facts about the closest

planet to the sun. https://www.space.com/36-mercury-the-suns-closest-planetary-

neighbor.html

Davies, E. (2014). Center for Planetary Sciences1. Planetary Habitability.

https://planetary-science.org/astrobiology/planetary-habitability/?

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Gunn, A. (2023). Science Focus. What if Earth had two moons?

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Kirkpatrick, K. (2023). howstuffworks. What If the Earth Had Two Moons?

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