Abstract
What makes the Earth a livable planet? One simple, but commonly accepted answer is “a planet that allows liquid water to be stably present”. This statement puts a lot of weight on water being the essential element for life. Some scientists have argued whether it is necessary to require surface water, or subsurface liquid water is enough. Nevertheless, few dispute that so long life is carbon-based, it will require liquid water to begin, to survive, and to flourish. Given the importance of water, is it a coincidence that the Earth is blessed with so much liquid water?
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I am sure it did not escape the notice of the readers that the space shuttle Challenger was named after this exploration ship. Similarly, the space shuttle Endeavour was named after the British ship HMS Endeavour, which Captain James Cook took on his first voyage (1678–1771). The shuttle Discovery was named after H.M.S. Discovery, one of the ships on Cook’s third voyage (1776–1780).
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Kwok, S. (2013). Where Do Oceans Come from?. In: Stardust. Astronomers' Universe. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-32802-2_19
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-32802-2_19
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