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A brief history of the term ‘habitable zone’ in the 19th century

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 June 2021

Manasvi Lingam Open the ORCID record for Manasvi Lingam [Opens in a new window]
Manasvi Lingam*
Affiliation:
Department of Aerospace, Physics and Space Science, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL32901, USA
*
Author for correspondence: Manasvi Lingam, Email: mlingam@fit.edu
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Abstract

The appellation ‘habitable zone’ in astrobiology in sooth evinces an overlooked and winding history that can be traced back to the 19th century. This paper sketches how this term from geography was generalized to encompass planetary habitability. The people involved in this narrative are numerous, but the bulk of their musings were rather nebulous. Yet, during this period appear the first true insights, although sadly this saga is not altogether sans blights.

Keywords

Exoplanetsextraterrestrial lifehabitabilityhabitable zonehistory of astrobiology
Type
Research Article
Information
International Journal of Astrobiology , Volume 20 , Issue 5 , October 2021 , pp. 332 - 336
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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