Earth is a planet where all forms of life exist; from basic living micro-organisms to highly sophisticated and intelligent human beings. © 2020 Discovery or its subsidiaries and affiliates. Learn about this new virus and how we got here. Dear Dmama, You mean "life as we know it", correct? Earth is the third planet in the solar system; the only object in the Universe known to harbour life. What makes the Earth suitable for life? "Alien Life May Need More Than Liquid Water to Survive." First launched in 1990 aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery, the storied space telescope is celebrating is thirtieth year in lonely orbit around the Earth. Call it the "rare Earth" hypothesis versus the "mediocrity principle" hypothesis. Many factors are responsible for making Earth a suitable … But while it looks pretty from afar, don’t give in to the temptation to visit it up close. With eclipses, meteor showers, and more, it's a busy month in the night sky this July. SERENDIPITIST. But life only arrived in that last half-billion. In reality, there are two concepts at play here, although they seem to be mutually exclusive. April 2009. We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. It has plate tectonics B. May 20, 2010. Whenever astronomers announce the discovery of an "Earth-like planet," they're usually talking about planets with roughly Earth-like gravity that are close enough to their star to be warm but not hot and that may (or may not) have liquid water. In fact, it’s just the opposite. Through the use of cutting-edge instruments, scientists finally have the opportunity to probe deep beneath the surface and ascertain exactly how the terrestrial planet formed. What happens when animals evolve in isolation? Marveling that the planet that we happen to live on also happens to be very well suited to life is a bit like marveling that polar bears live in a place where their white fur can blend in with the snow — they didn't "happen" to evolve in a snowy environment just like we didn't "happen" to show up in a place that's well-suited for life. As the death tolls rise, Coronavirus is on the minds of people all over the world. Still, the foundational belief behind the mediocrity principle is probably true: There's nothing about this particular planet or this particular star that makes it better for supporting life than others that have the exact same hospitable circumstances. Originally published: 2/20/2020 1 decade ago. ... As we have no means of interstellar travel, and as interplanetary travel doesn’t get us to another suitable environment, we have only this one oasis, Earth, to call home. Astronomy. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website. September 2008. Oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, and a few other elements from the periodic table make up 99% of our bodies. Creating Superhumans Through Gene Manipulation and More, Star Trek's Kobayashi Maru Exercise Explores No-win Situations, How a Booming Legal Marijuana Industry Could Harm Air Quality, Information about the device's operating system, Information about other identifiers assigned to the device, The IP address from which the device accesses a client's website or mobile application, Information about the user's activity on that device, including web pages and mobile apps visited or used, Information about the geographic location of the device when it accesses a website or mobile application. Favorite Answer. All rights reserved. We're here because our planet was sturdy enough to last until the first signs of life appeared. The problem with the mediocrity principle is that the Earth isn't chosen randomly from all of the planets in the universe. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. Lv 5. the following characteristic make earth habitable EXCEPT: A. Here are the nine ingredients for a habitable planet. (Aug. 9, 2010) http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/alien-life-needs-more-than-water-100520.html, Villard, Ray. This article first appeared on Curiosity.com. Photo by: Getty Images/Bernt Ove Moss/EyeEm. Earth is our spaceship, protecting us from the harsh conditions in empty space. Being stuck at home doesn’t mean that learning stops. It's not just about air, water, and distance from the sun. What makes Earth suitable for life. Three cheers for the Hubble! Too much heat and harmful radiation, or too little water or energy, and our planet’s vibrant biosphere would vanish. Relevance. Updated: 3/9/2020. Here's an (incomplete) roundup: These are just a few of the items on the long list of features that make Earth more habitable than the average planet. What are three characteristics of Earth that make it suitable for life? There are a few key ingredients are needed for life to exist. Space.com. Credit: ESO/B. BBC. In fact, our planet might be one of the extremes, if only the extremes can actually support life.