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How common are habitable planets?

Nature volume 402, pages C11–C14 (1999)Cite this article

The Earth is teeming with life, which occupies a diverse array of environments; other bodies in our Solar System offer fewer, if any, niches that are habitable by life as we know it. Nonetheless, astronomical studies suggest that many habitable planets may be present within our Galaxy.

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Figure 1: Environments on small and large Earth-like planets.

NASA/CORBIS/OAR/NURP

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Acknowledgements

I thank J. Cuzzi, F. Drake and G. Marcy for insightful discussions.

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  1. Space Science Division MS 245-3, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, 94035, California, USA

    Jack J. Lissauer

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  1. Jack J. Lissauer
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Correspondence to Jack J. Lissauer.

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Lissauer, J. How common are habitable planets?. Nature 402 (Suppl 6761), C11–C14 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/35011503

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