Question: Why do other planets have such extreme conditions but earth doesn't?

Beth Healey answered on 13 Oct 2015:

Good morning! This is Adrianos from Greece, I am Beth’s predecessor as a research doctor for the European Space Agency in Antarctica and I am filling in for her today due to connectivity problems over there.

Thanks for posing a very interesting question! The Earth is a special planet because up to day it is the only place which without a doubt hosts life, owing to its specific conditions: its temperature is just right to have liquid water on its surface. This is because the Earth lies within the so-called Goldilocks zone or our solar system: neither too far from the sun (in which case it would be too cold to have water and subsequently life) nor too close like Venus, which is extremely hot.

There are perhaps other extremes in the rest of the planets, such as Jupiter’s enormous cyclone, the Great Red Spot. Or the volcanic eruptions of the Jovian moon, Io. But the Earth was also a bit “extreme” some millions of years ago: It was covered with lava and bombarded by meteorites! Slowly it cooled down, developed an atmosphere and became hospitable. Perhaps other planets will “mature” as well in time.