How alien can a planet be and still support life?

Earth scientists reimagine the Goldilocks zone and what makes a planet habitable

planets

THINKING OUTSIDE THE GOLDILOCKS ZONE  The hunt for extraterrestrial life has long focused on planets at a just-right distance from alien stars, where liquid water can exist on a planet’s surface.

Nicolle Rager Fuller

Just how fantastical a planet can be and still support recognizable life isn’t just a question for science fiction.