By: Cynthia He

If there were a planet in space that humans could potentially live on, I think it would have to be pretty similar to Earth.

One requirement for the planet is that it would have to water in some form. Humans can’t live without water for several reasons. The biggest use of water for humans is for drinking. Water helps us give and transport nutrients, digest foods, remove waste, maintain body temperatures, and function our muscles. In our daily lives, we use water to grow food, cook, and manufacture goods.

A stable food source is also crucial. Humans need to eat food to gain nutrients, essential to growing, repairing, and maintaining our bodies. Food provides us with the energy to move around and live.

The potential planet would also need a similar atmosphere to Earth. It would need a greenhouse effect. If there were no greenhouse gasses, it would be too cold. The greenhouse effect would also protect humans from ultraviolet solar radiation and provide the proper environment for plants to grow. In addition, oxygen is a must have fo.

The planet must be a terrestrial planet, like Earth, Mars, and Venus. If it were a gaseous planet, like Jupiter and Saturn, landing on the planet would be impossible, let alone walking on it. The gasses in the planet may also be dangerous for humans, and the pressure and temperatures on gaseous planets would be too high.

The last requirement is that the planet can’t be too far from Earth. To get to Pluto from Earth, it takes about 10 years. The average lifespan for a human is 77.5 years. If the planet is too far from Earth, all the humans traveling there would die before arriving.

Image Credit by ZCH