What Makes an Exoplanet Habitable?
Explore this infographic to learn more about the many different factors that make a planet potentially habitable.
Complete text transcript available.
Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
This infographic explores some of the many factors that affect whether a planet can support life as we know it. A habitable planet is one that can sustain life as we know it for billions of years. A planet’s ability to harbor life results from the complex interplay between its host star, its own orbit and rotation, and the make-up of its surface and interior. One required ingredient for habitability is liquid water, so the planet must orbit in the region around its star where liquid water can exist on its surface. This region is called the habitable zone. But that alone is not enough — there are many other considerations that go into a planet’s potential for supporting life. PDF versions of the graphics tagged for screen readers are available at the bottom of this page.
Same as above in a narrower format.
Complete text transcript available.
Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
The host star of a planet plays a big role in whether it can sustain life as we know it. Explore this infographic to learn more.
Complete text transcript available.
Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
TA planet’s orbit, magnetic field, size and composition all factor into determining if it can sustain life as we know it. Explore this infographic to learn more.
Complete text transcript available.
Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Explore this infographic to learn more about how a planet’s atmosphere can affect its habitability.
Complete text transcript available.
Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Liquid water on a planet’s surface is needed to support life as we know it. Explore this infographic for additional ways that water can affect a planet’s habitability.
Complete text transcript available.
Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Volcanoes and chemical interactions help determine if a planet can sustain life as we know it. Explore this infographic to learn more.
Complete text transcript available.
Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Even a planet’s core plays a role in sustaining life as we know it. Explore this infographic to learn more.
Complete text transcript available.
Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. However, individual items should be credited as indicated above.
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Designer
- Ravyn Cullor (GSFC Interns)
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Artist
- Ravyn Cullor (GSFC Interns)
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Producer
- Barb Mattson (University of Maryland College Park)
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Public affairs officer
- Claire Andreoli (NASA/GSFC)
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Science writers
- Francis Reddy (University of Maryland College Park)
- Jeanette Kazmierczak (University of Maryland College Park)
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Technical support
- Scott Wiessinger (USRA)
Release date
This page was originally published on Friday, January 24, 2020.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:45 PM EDT.