Daniel Pendleton

One of the most thought provoking questions ever asked is whether or not
we are alone in the universe. The concept of life on another planet is an interesting
and fascinating idea that has perked the curiosity of many people. Although we may
not know whether or not life exists on other planets at the moment, Scientists have
researched the requirements for life as we know it to exist elsewhere in the
universe and use this knowledge in order to narrow down the search for life on
other planets.

The main ingredient for life as we know it to exist is liquid water. In order
for a planet to have liquid water, it must be close enough to its star that oceans
wont freeze but also far enough away that oceans wont boil over and evaporate.
This range of distances is known as the goldilocks zone and it can be calculated
based on the heat and size of the star. Not only does a planet need liquid water, it
also must be able to maintain a water cycle. In order for a water cycle to exist on a
planet, it must have an atmosphere that can support rain. For a planet have an
atmosphere, it must have a strong enough gravitational pull. Without a strong
enough gravitational pull, the atmosphere would float away into space. But if there
is too much gravity, life may be hindered from forming. Also, The atmosphere needs
to be able to have a decent greenhouse effect. An atmosphere containing sufficient
greenhouse gases can achieve this; however, too much of these gases would cause
the planet to be boiling hot and prevent liquid water from forming. Another

important factor for life as we know it to survive is for the planet to have a strong
enough magnetic field to block solar radiation coming from the star it is orbiting. To
achieve a magnetic field, the planet needs a solid metal core surrounded by a liquid
metal layer. With out a magnetic field, life would be instantly incinerated.

There are also factors that are not essential for life as we know it, but are
helpful in the survival of such life forms. One of those factors is having a gas giant
father out in the same star system. This gas giant would help life survive by pulling
in many incoming meteors and comets that could potentially hit the planet and wipe
out many, if not all, life forms on the planet. A large moon may also help in the
support of life as it also blocks incoming meteors while also creating tides that
would help the water cycle circulate better. One factor that especially helps the
survival of life is a long living star. If a star has a long life span, there is a better
chance at not only finding life on the planet, but also the life forms may have evolved
enough to be able to communicate with them.

There are an immense number of stars in the universe. As a result, it is

highly unlikely that life only exists on earth and always will. Somewhere, there is
life out side of the solar system, but even so, whether we find such life depends on
how close they are and where we are looking.