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Question
Will any of the planets of the solar system ever develop an atmosphere that will sustain life?
At least two of the planets in the solar system have developed atmospheres that sustain liquid water on the surface, which is the key requirement for life. These are Earth and Mars. Venus may also have briefly had such habitable conditions early in its history. Of these three, Earth still is habitable, while Venus and Mars have diverged in their evolutionary paths. It is possible that the surface of Mars might become habitable again in the future, but unlikely, since its small size has inhibited its geological activity (which releases atmospheric gases), and much of the original atmosphere of Mars has been lost due to its small gravity.
David Morrison
NAI Senior Scientist
October 13, 2005
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