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Loading contentThe temperature a planet would settle at if it simply balanced the starlight it absorbs against the heat it radiates, set by the star's output, the orbital distance, and the planet's reflectivity. It is a first estimate — real atmospheres shift it through greenhouse warming and heat redistribution — but it frames where a world sits relative to the habitable zone.
Facts on this topic will be cited from these primary and reference sources.
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.