What does it mean that an exoplanet exists in the "habitable zone"? Question 6 options: (a) It is located the same distance from its star that Earth is from the Sun. (b) It is located the right distance from its star to enable liquid water to exist on its surface. (c) It means that the exoplanet has an oxygen rich atmosphere. (d) It is located a distance from its star that makes extinction level asteroid impacts unlikely.

Question

Physics

Hugh Bartlett

2 March, 23:29

What does it mean that an exoplanet exists in the "habitable zone"? Question 6 options: (a) It is located the same distance from its star that Earth is from the Sun. (b) It is located the right distance from its star to enable liquid water to exist on its surface. (c) It means that the exoplanet has an oxygen rich atmosphere. (d) It is located a distance from its star that makes extinction level asteroid impacts unlikely.

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Monserrat Hutchinson · Answer 1

(b) It is located the right distance from its star to enable liquid water to exist on its surface.

Explanation:

The habitable zone according to astronomy and astrobiology is a region around a star that the planets around the star can hold and support liquid water. For our solar system, the habitable zone coincides approximately with the distance from the sun to Earth.