In the story of Goldilocks things are not too big, not too small, not too hot, not too cold etc. everything is "just right".
In solar systems there appears to be a "goldilocks zone" which is in the "habitable" zone or a zone where life like our own may emerge on a planet because there is an appreciable atmosphere and liquid water on the surface.
This zone exists in a region where a planet is not too close to the sun but also not too far. It's orbit is "just right". Too close to the sun and any water would boil away, too far from the sun and it would all be frozen.
Also it turns out that the size of the planets found within this zone must also be not too big and not too small.
So not only must the planet be in the Goldilocks zone, it must also be a Goldilocks planet.
Our solar system has 3 planets which could qualify as being in the habitable of Goldilocks zone.
- Earth
- Mars
- Venus
Each of these has had an atmosphere and likely surface water at some stage of its planetary evolution. Mars may even have harbored microbial life.
But, Earth of the 3, is the only one that proved to be "just right". It's size was perfect for its distance from the sun and furthermore it has the Moon to stabilize its spin and axial tilt.
Mars was perfect, for a while, but because it is a lot smaller than earth it lost internal heat more rapidly and its molten core froze. Without a molten core it lost its magnetic field generated by flows of metals inside the planet. This left Mars's atmosphere exposed to the abrasive solar wind and gradually its atmosphere was stripped away.
Mars lost most of its water and what little was left is found in two frozen polar ice caps or frozen beneath the surface of the rusted soil. It's this iron oxide(rust) coated soil and dust that gives mars its rust red colour and cause the ancients to name it after their god of war.
Venus likely also had appreciable amounts of water in its atmosphere and on surface but being a little closer to the sun at some time got to hot. This overheating caused water vapor to escape into its upper atmosphere where it too was stripped away by the solar wind.
The water left on Venus now is mostly "heavy water" containing deuterium. This enrichment in deuterium is all that remains after the lighter isotopes of water had been removed at some distant time in the past.
Without enough water to form rain there was nothing to stop the build up of carbon dioxide and other nasties in the atmosphere and besides the air being toxic Venus now has a surface temperature in the region of 400 degrees thanks to the effect of greenhouse gasses etc.
So not only is Earth in just the right zone within the solar system, it is also just the right size for its orbital distance.
Two more "just right's" to add to the so called "fine tuned" universe.
I had never read why Mars and Venus actually failed. I should have already known this, but somehow I didnt. Appreciate this informative piece.
Good post - nice, simple throwback to primary school.
However, I would like to add a possible amendment. Deuterium is not "heavy water", it is "heavy hydrogen" and is an unstable isotope of Hydrogen with 2 neutrons instead of one.
Thanks!
fixed wording, thanks
i am new follow me and upvote please
The necessity of innumerable complex, precise conditions and the unlikelihood of those conditions being exactly so, by chance, is in my view one of the greatest proofs of God's existance.
I know complexity does not prove God exists but it is an explanation for the otherwise inexplicable. Better and more logically sufficient in my view than what some say, "nothing plus nobody multiplied by time, equals everything".
At least that's how I see it. But great post. Thought provoking.
Have an amazing day.
Interesting equation!
Cant take credit for that, it is a paraphrase from pastor.
Thanks though.
Smart fellow that pastor
If something that is complex by definition must have been "created or designed". Who or what created God. Would God not be complex? there is only one possible solution. Spontaneous Existence. Either God spontaneously existed and created the Universe or the Universe spontaneously existed.
All the facts you mean't mention sound quite accurate, distance and size do play a major roll when it comes to planetary evolution and the possibility for life .
I will earn money on this site with money can I get a ticket to MARS :) :))
I always wanted to be an astronaut when I was younger
then the girls would not be astronauts -lol-
after a long time I realized it was a lie
it was too late now: /
Thank you very much for your writing. It was something I was interested in.
Thank you.
sorry for my bad english.
Got your point but the concept of habitable zone or most suitable condition for a life to form on a planet, what is it exactly? Because we are nearer to the sun and the amount of sunlight, the presence of water, atmosphere, humidity (and other earthly condition) is exactly favourable for the kind of life form that is present here on earth...but lets suppose a planet far far away..extremelyy cold and very different from earth ..would not there be any chance that the planet is habitable to completely different form of species that does not need heat, atmosphere or water to survive unlike we earthian?
chemical reaction are typically retarded by lower temperatures... that life would have to be quite different from what we know.
Loved the title, gave me a good chuckle. Nice read thanks.
We are so arrogant as species. Virus is living organism which hibernate in unfavourable environments and become alive in proper conditions. So there is life all over the universe! If we can’t intellectually grasp something that doesn’t mean it’s non existent. So goldilock zone can be applied only to species known to humans. Few years ago scientists discovered microorganisms which thrive in anaerobic inviroment, deep in volcanic springs. Lava definitely can’t be considered as “proper” inviroment for biological thriving.
extremophiles... but not as abundant and diverse as water and oxygen lovers
thank you for the simplified explanation
Earth seems to live at the intersection of several miracles. It's hard not to suspect that there is something to that.
he who has eyes to see, let him see...
How do you know so much, is this your field of work? Did you study space etc?
natural sciences are my sideline
Also, Earth has Steemit. Venus and Mars don't
lol
Goldilocks syndrome is going to be my go to explanation for life on earth from now one. It just sounds right. thank you
nice play on words
God has indeed blessed planet Earth. I love the term 'goldilocks' zone. Thanks for the info
I guess with time mars will become more just right with all these advancements in technology.
Lets leave that to Elon Musk!
There is still that small problem of no magnetosphere to shield from cosmic radiation and solar wind.
I have seen some documentaries where they proposed how they can perhaps make Mars habitable, but can't remember if they said anything about the magnetosphere
@svkrulze try checking out magnetosphere. It looks quite plausible, and costly that’s for sure.
"just right" is principle for most of all the successful story. we are lucky.
I love it. A nice, simple look. I think it is always about perspective. I think we lose it, and forget that conditions have to be pretty perfect for us to even be alive.
Very interesting! Thanks for sharing! Upvoted!
Lot of great conservation about the earth & possible travel to other planets.
I would like to see use spend that money on taking
care of the earth (since we are here to stay "I hope".
The earth usually isn’t called so, but the distance zone (not too far from sun, and not to close to sun, so life is possible) is called the “Goldilocks zone”. This is from the fairy tale of Goldilocks who comes into a house where many objects come in three instances: one too big, one too small, and one just right.
is all the info correct?
Amazing information @gavvet
Resteem
And then there was life which was slowly Evolving on the planet EARTH... first originating in Water (cus water covered entire surface of the planet) then slowly life came to the land...
Humans are latest happenings...
Along with humans came all the comforts cus of human intelligence/ imaginations and complications (boundaries and religion) cus of human insecurity and ego...
Actually nature is the maximum and there is much more than we know and imagine
Are we not part of Nature. And as such, isn't any and everything we do, Natural?
thank you
@gavvet, Absolutely better scientific topic discussion. That goes evolution of the humans. The Goldilocks Zone refers to the habitable zone around a star where the temperature is just right not too hot and not too cold - for liquid water to exist on an planet. There are at least a dozen or so potentially habitable exoplanets, planets which are in varying degrees similar to Earth.Looking for planets in the Goldilocks Zone is a way that allows scientists to hone in their search for Earth-like planets that could contain life. Basically, the assumption is that if it's possible there may be liquid water on the planet, then it's also possible that the planet may be habitable.
Our solar system has 3 planets which could qualify as being in the habitable of Goldilocks zone. Its named Earth; Mars; Venus.
"The only life we know about is our carbon-based life, and water plays a crucial part in our own existence, and so it's only natural that we direct our attention to planets in locations capable of having liquid water," - Professor John Webb of the University of New South Wales
Liquid water is essential for life as we know it. Where we find liquid water on Earth we also find life.
Would that be the same on exoplanets, or could it be some kind of life, different from "as we know it" and that requires something different to exist?
Greattt... I didn't know about this... you tell in very effective way...good job
Yes I have also read about 'Goldilocks zone' @gavvet and yes you are right
Earths orbit is so critical that it recieves just the right amount of light and heat from the sun that water exists in all three physical forms - liquid, gas and solid. If you were to move earth closer to the sun, out side of the narrow Goldilocks zone, there will be too much energy received by the earth from the sun and water initially might just be too warm for most of life to exist and eventually may just exist only in gaseous state.
Radiation of particles in solar wind will be very high and the strength of the earths magnetic field may not suffice, making life impossible.
And mars and venus does not fulfill these condition for existing life.So we are lucky to have our beautiful planet Earth.thanks to share with us @gavvet Followed,upvoted and resteemed.
Are we not extremely lucky to be on earth? Wonder what is going on in other planets .
Usefull information for me keep posting like this. Yea this fine tuned universe.
Only we have to care of this universe
@gavvet ☺☺☺😍💚💚💚
If u have spare time kindly look at my introduction post .only if u dont mind
Completely agree with you, it turns out that our planet has one undoubted advantage - it has life on it. It is quite difficult for a modern person to move to the distant past, several billion years ago, and to imagine our planet as it was before the first living creatures appeared - just one cold element of the galaxy. For a very long time our planet "worked" over everything that is customary and unshakable for people - the creation of seas, oceans, lakes and rivers, the division of continents, the appearance of actually us - reasonable people. Maybe now at this time on what other planet other planet the same time has come for life. I have something to ponder on. But our main task is to preserve our planet and not destroy it, but recently the world has turned over. Thank you for a very interesting article.
the separation between them is 150 million kilometers.
This is from the fairy tale of Goldilocks who comes into a house where many objects come in three instances: one too big, one too small, and one just right.
Hello @gavvet I wish you the beginning of 2018, full of success, too. I miss the vote from you :)
San Francisco State University astronomer Stephen Kane hunts for signs of life in outer space. His team measured light output from a distant star called Wolf 1061.1 Exoplanets (planets outside our solar system) orbit Wolf 1061, and one of them held the promise of liquid water, a prerequisite for life.
Kane's group tested whether or not the "c" planet of Wolf 1061, called Wolf 1061c, would permit liquid water. The "Goldilocks zone," or Habitable Zone (HZ), describes the distance from each particular star at which water on an orbiting planet would retain liquid. Life needs liquid water to facilitate all its necessary biochemical reactions.
But excitement dwindled when they overlaid the likely orbital track of planet Wolf 1061c onto the Goldilocks zone, they discovered that the planet orbits so close to its star that any water there would likely cause a runaway greenhouse effect. It would be a hellish sauna, like Venus.
Basically, they just crossed Wolf 1061c off the list of exoplanets that might have liquid water.
The final sentence in their technical report, set to appear in an upcoming issue of Astrophysical Journal, reads, "We thus conclude that the system is unlikely to host planets with surface liquid water."2
Kane said to SF State News, "The Wolf 1061 system is important because it is so close and that gives other opportunities to do follow-up studies to see if it does indeed have life." Why was he so optimistic after admitting these negative results?
Perhaps he meant to say that the Wolf 1061 system might have been important because it is close enough to allow follow-up studies that look for signs of life. Now it seems to be another dead end, like everywhere but Earth, so far as we know.
Of the hundreds of exoplanets targeted for faint hints of distant life, so far none meet the most basic requirement: liquid water. However, if some astronomers ever do verify liquid water on a distant planet, they will almost certainly take it as a sign of life even though water destroys the very chemicals that make cells operate. Water facilitates the right chemistry inside already-living cells, but terminates those same chemicals when exposed outside the protective membrane of a cell.3
With Wolf 1061c too close to its star to reasonably expect liquid water, and with water's power to destroy biochemistry, the idea of life somewhere out there goes from a hope without reason to a hope against reason.
Good work, Thanks for sharing, Resteemed.
The planet is one of the planets of the nearby planetary group, the main known planet in the close planetary system with an existence on it, and is the third planet out yonder from the sun, and the separation between them is 150 million kilometers. The planet needs 365.25 days to circumnavigate the sun, and Earth goes at 108,000 kilometers 60 minutes, making it a spaceship going around the huge space. The world's distance across is 12,756 kilometers and comprises of iron and nickel, making it into an extensive attractive field. The planet is encompassed by a climate that shields the earth from destructive sun beams and shooting stars.
I've read your post, a lot about Goldilocks, I've heard so much about this first, very beautiful your writing
Mars is such a fascinating contextual investigation. I viewed a TED talk given by Stephen Petranek called, "how we'll live on Mars", It's an awesome watch, I think it is just a short time before people vanquish the red planet. Once the early pilgrims arrive it will be exceptionally troublesome, however they should modify the air and gradually develop a human progress. What will get this going is the quick innovation originating from organizations like Space X, where they can reuse rockets, cutting expenses massively. On the off chance that I needed to put a time period on it, I would state there will be mortal people possessing and perhaps reproducing on the red planet by 2030.
Excellent publication, I think Mars could have more opportunities to house life since Venus is a little hotter and its atmosphere is more damaged. In the same way I think that Mars could serve in the future as to be colonized, everything will be a matter of time in the future we will see what will happen.
It has been said that human life on Venus would be impossible because of the extreme pressure due to the dense atmosphere and clouds and the fact that it is well over 400 degrees Celsius night and day. On the other hand some have the idea of creating structures high above the surface in the clouds where the conditions resemble that of earth at some levels.
Mars is such an interesting case study. I watched a TED talk given by Stephen Petranek called, "how we'll live on Mars", It's a great watch, I think it is only a matter of time before humans conquer the red planet. Once the early explorers land it will be very difficult, but they will have to rebuild the atmosphere and slowly construct a civilization. What will make this happen is the ingenious technology coming from companies like Space X, where they are able to reuse rockets, slashing costs tremendously. If I had to put a time frame on it, I would say there will be earth born humans inhabiting and possibly procreating on the red planet by 2030.
heres the link to the video, he also has a short book on the same subject.
https://www.ted.com/talks/stephen_petranek_your_kids_might_live_on_mars_here_s_how_they_ll_survive
There's a lot more sh*t going than I thought
excelent vlog
Cool explanation we always need to remember there Is only one earth and mars is only a "Option"but not for now.
We need to be careful with earth because we have no other options!
i am robot i vote for you
good information thanks for sharing great post
Useful information. We should take care this universe . @ gavvet
Useful science info @gavvet
❤The planet is one of the planets of the solar system, the only known planet in the solar system with a life on it, and is the third planet in the distance from the sun, and the distance between them is 150 million kilometers. The planet needs 365.25 days to circumnavigate the sun, and Earth travels at 108,000 kilometers an hour, making it a spaceship traveling around the vast space. The earth's diameter is 12,756 kilometers and consists of iron and nickel, making it into a large magnetic field. The planet is surrounded by an atmosphere that protects the earth from harmful sun rays and meteorites. The atmosphere consists mostly of nitrogen (78%), followed by oxygen (21%).
now population can migrate to there after reading your post :)
Thank you so much for providing information about this