Habitability factor · Planetary Habitability
Liquid Water
The one requirement every known form of life shares — a liquid solvent for its chemistry. The habitable zone is defined by where a planet could hold liquid water on its surface, but subsurface oceans extend the possibilities far beyond it.
Highlights
- ›The defining requirement for life as we know it
Worlds, missions & methods
Knowledge connections
- Member of groupPlanetary Habitability
- Associated withHabitable zone
- Associated withMars
- Associated withEuropa
- Associated withEnceladus
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.