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Habitability factor · Planetary Habitability

Extremophiles

Earth organisms that thrive in extremes — searing vents, acid, salt, cold, and intense radiation — that once seemed impossible for life. They vastly widen where life might survive, and are the closest analogs for what an ocean-world biosphere might be.

Highlights

  • Life on Earth thrives in conditions once thought lethal

Knowledge connections

Sources

The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.

  • NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration

    Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.

    Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.