Summary:
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Mercury is one-third the size of Earth, has a thin atmosphere, extreme temperatures, and is 0.4 AU from the Sun—making life highly unlikely.
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Venus, slightly smaller than Earth, is the hottest planet with surface temperatures around 900°F, a thick CO₂-dominant atmosphere, and is 0.7 AU from the Sun. Detection of phosphine hints at a small possibility of life in its atmosphere.
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Earth has a solid, tectonically active surface and a life-supporting atmosphere of mostly nitrogen and oxygen. It sits 1 AU from the Sun and supports a vast variety of life.
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Mars, half the size of Earth, has rust-colored dust, polar ice, large volcanoes, and a thin CO₂-rich atmosphere. It’s 1.5 AU from the Sun, and no life has been found.
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Jupiter is 11 times Earth's size, lacks a solid surface, has a hydrogen-helium atmosphere, and features a massive storm (the Great Red Spot). Life is considered unlikely due to extreme conditions.
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Saturn, 9 times larger than Earth and 9.6 AU from the Sun, is also a gas giant with a hydrogen-helium atmosphere and no solid surface or known life.
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Uranus, about 4 times Earth's size and 19.2 AU away, is a cold, icy gas giant with methane, hydrogen, and helium in its atmosphere. It has a small core and no sign of life.
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Neptune, also 4 times larger than Earth, is 30 AU from the Sun, has a dense, icy atmosphere with hydrogen, helium, and methane, and shows no signs of life.
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Planetary distances are expressed in astronomical units (AU), where 1 AU is the Earth-Sun distance (~93 million miles or 150 million kilometers).
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Life appears to be unique to Earth so far, though Venus has raised new questions due to recent discoveries, while other planets are considered inhospitable.
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