Potentially Habitable Kepler Planets

Kushal Jayakumar

Abstract: The basic understanding of life on exoplanets must be based on what we know about life on Earth. Liquid water is the main element that indicates life may exist and is the common requirement for life on mother earth. Temperature is the second parameter to consider, because it influences liquid water and because it can be estimated from climate models of exoplanets. Life exists at temperatures less than -150C and, as high as 1220C. Deserts have shown the potential that even a little water can be enough to sustain life. Studies conducted in deserts have shown that life exists even in extreme regions with less rainfall, snow, fog, and adequate humidity giving slight chance for photosynthe- sis, resulting in microbial life. Only a small amount of light is required for photosynthesis. Some nitrogen must be present for life and the presence of oxygen would be a good indicator of photosyn- thesis and possibly complex life. All these show even in harsh conditions, they are chances to find life.

Keywords: Goldilocks Zone, Host Star, Habitable Planets, Enrico Fermi, Paradox, Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence, SETI, Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence, Civilizations, Orbits, Main Sequence Stars, Red Dwarfs, Kepler space telescope, Kepler Planets, Interstellar, Potential Life Conditions