What factors determine the boundaries of the habitable zone around a star?
Distance from the star
Type of star (temperature and size)
Atmospheric composition
Orbital eccentricity
Magnetic field strength
What additional factors are necessary for a planet to support life as we know it? (Select all that apply)
Presence of liquid water
Magnetic field
Geological activity (e.g., plate tectonics, volcanic outgassing)
Cloud coverage/albedo regulation
Stellar flares
Which of the following planets is most likely to support life as we know it?
A gas giant within the habitable zone of a Sun-like star, with several large moons.
A tidally locked planet within the habitable zone of a red dwarf star, with a thick atmosphere capable of redistributing heat and maintaining surface liquid water in the terminator zone.
A planet with a dense atmosphere that blocks sunlight but maintains subsurface liquid water heated by geothermal or tidal forces.
A Moon-sized planet outside the habitable zone of its star, with surface ice and volcanic activity creating pockets of subsurface liquid water.
Which of the following would be the strongest evidence for life on an exoplanet?
Detection of liquid water on the planet’s surface.
High levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Simultaneous detection of oxygen and methane in the atmosphere.
Detection of seasonal changes in surface color.