Living on Other Planets: What Would It Be Like?

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Solar System Montage by NASA
Learn how people might live on other planets with Space.com's 12-part series detailing how people could live on other cosmic bodies. (Image credit: NASA)

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live on the moon? What about Mars, or Venus or Mercury? We sure have and that's why we decided to find out what it might be like to live on other worlds in our solar system, from Mercury to Pluto and beyond in a new, weekly 12-part series.

For this series, written by Space.com contributor Joseph Castro, we wanted to know what the physical sensation of living on other worlds would be like: What would the gravity be like on Mercury; How long would your day be on Venus? What's the weather on Titan?

For the sake of our solar system tour, let's take it as a given that humanity has the futuristic tech needed to set up a base on the planets. So join Space.com each week as we skip across the solar system and see what it would feel like to live beyond Earth. Check out our schedule for the tour through the solar system and beyond below:

Wednesday, Jan. 28 – Mercury

What Would It Be Like to Live on Mercury?
The closest planet to the sun is an inhospitable place, and probably not the first choice for human colonization. But if somehow we had the technology, what would it be like for people to live on Mercury?

10 Strange Facts About Mercury (A Photo Tour) 
Mercury is a weird place. See just how weird the closest planet to the sun is in our photo tour. 

Living on Mercury Would be Hard (Infogaphic)
So you've read what it might be like to be a colonist on Mercury. Now see the details in visual form. Space.com's Karl Tate lays out what livingon Mercury might be like for an astronaut.

More about Mercury:

Tuesday, Feb. 3 – Venus

What Would It Be Like to Live on Venus?
From its hellish temperatures to crushing pressures and volcanoes, the planet Venus might be a hard place for an astronaut to set up camp. Here's what it might be like for an astronaut to live on the second planet from the sun. 

Living on Planet Venus: Why It Would Be Hard (Infographic)
If you thought Venus was the perfect vacation spot, better think again. See how some if its most hellish aspects would challenge astronauts in this infographic by Space.com's Karl Tate.

The 10 Weirdest Facts About Venus
Venus is the brightest planet in our night sky, and one of the strangest. Take a look at some of the oddest facts about this weird world.

More About Venus: 

Tuesday, Feb. 10 – Earth's Moon

What Would It Be Like to Live on the Moon?
From its lack of an atmosphere to dusty surface, the moon wouldn't be the most hospitable place for lunar colonizers to find themselves. Find out how they might be able to make the lunar surface a more cozy place to put down roots.

Living on the Moon: What It Would Be Like: Infographic
How could you live on the moon? Space.com's Karl Tate explains some of the odds lunar explorers are up against in this infographic.

The Moon: 10 Surprising Lunar Facts
Here are 10 amazing and surprising facts about the moon.

More about the moon: 

Tuesday, Feb. 17 – Mars

What Would It Be Like to Live on Mars?
Humans have long-dreamed about potentially colonizing the Red Planet, but what would it really take for humans to comfortably live on Mars?

How Living on Mars Could Challenge Colonists (Infographic )
What kind of challenges would humans face when trying to set up shop on Mars? The thin Martian atmosphere, harsh climate and other factors would make the Red Planet is a tough place for Martian explorers to live, but it could be possible.

More about Mars:

Tuesday, Feb. 24 – Asteroid Belt

What Would It Be Like to Live On Dwarf Planet Ceres in the Asteroid Belt? 
The dwarf Planet Ceres may be round, but it doesn't have much of an atmosphere to speak of. What would it be like for human explorers if they visited this object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter?

Living On Dwarf Planet Ceres in the Asteroid Belt (Infographic ) 
Learn more about what it might be like for human beings to live on the dwarf planet Ceres in the asteroid belt. 

More about Ceres and the asteroid belt:

Tuesday, March 3 – At Jupiter

What Would It Be Like to Live on Jupiter's Moon Europa?  
What would human explorers visiting Jupiter's icy moon Europa find when they get there? It's possible some form of life might already be there waiting for them.

Living On Europa Explained: Humans Might Not Be First: Infographic
Europa is one of the most viable places in the solar system to hunt for life as we know it, but could humans find a way to settle it?

More about Jupiter and its moons:

Tuesday, March 10 – At Saturn, the Ringed Planet

What Would It Be Like to Live on Saturn's Moons Enceladus and Titan?
Saturn might not be a place where huamns could live, but its moons Titan and Enceladus might hold more hope for human colonists.

How Humans Could Live on Saturn's Moon Titan (Infographic)
Saturn's moon Titan might be the most hospitable place in the solar system for humans to set up shop. What would it be like for a human explorer to hang out on Titan?

More about Saturn and its moons:

Tuesday, March 17 – At Uranus

What Would It Be Like to Live on a Moon of Uranus?
How would it feel to bounce around in the low gravity of Titania or Miranda? Find out what it might be like to colonize the moons of Uranus.

Living on Titania: Uranus' Moon Explained (Infographic )
Get a close-up look at what it could be like to live on Titania, Uranus' largest moon.

More about Uranus and its moons:

Tuesday, March 24 – At Neptune

What Would It Be Like to Live on Neptune's Moon Triton?
While Neptune doesn't have much of a solid surface under its layers and layers of gas, its huge moon Triton might be a fun (and maybe difficult) place for humans to settle in the solar system.

Living on Triton: Neptune's Moon Explained (Infographic )
Triton could be an interesting place to live in the solar sytem. Learn more about what the first human settlers of the world could possibly find.

More about Neptune and its moons:

Tuesday, March 31 – At  Pluto

What Would It Be Like to Live on Pluto?
How cold would human settlers on Pluto really be? The mysterious dwarf planet will be explored in closer detail when NASA's New Horizons probe flys by the icy body in July.

Living on Pluto: Dwarf Planet Facts Explained (Infographic) 
Learn more about what it might be like to live on Pluto, if humans ever make it that far into the solar system.

More about Pluto and its moons: 

Tuesday, April 7 – Following a Comet

 

What It Would Be Like to Live On a Comet
Living on comets requires great care — the gravity is so weak that you could easily jump off the frozen bodies and into space. 

Living on a Comet: 'Dirty Snowball' Facts Explained: Infographic
Halley's Comet, a dusty ball of ice and frozen gases, spends most of its time in the chilly outland of the solar system. See what it would be like to live on a comet in this infographic.

More about comets:

Saturday, May 9 – On a Strange New World 

What Would It Be Like to Live on Alien Planet Kepler-186f?
There are many unknowns regarding the potentially habitable exoplanet Kepler-186f, but it may have similar light (from its star) and gravity as Earth. 

Living on an Alien Planet: Exoplanet Kepler-186f: Infographic
At last humans are able to make educated guesses about what living on alien worlds might be like. Here's what we know about the alien planet Kepler-186f.

Earth-Size Planet Kepler-186f, a Possibly Habitable Alien World: Gallery
The alien planet Kepler-186f is a planet only slightly larger than Earth orbiting inside the habitable zone of its red dwarf star. See images and photos of the Kepler-186f planet discovery in this Space.com gallery.

Exoplanet Kepler-186f: Earth-Size World Could Support Oceans and Life: Infographic
A rocky planet that could have liquid water at its surface orbits a star 490 light-years away.

More resources on exoplanets:

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Tariq Malik
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief

Tariq is the Editor-in-Chief of Space.com and joined the team in 2001, first as an intern and staff writer, and later as an editor. He covers human spaceflight, exploration and space science, as well as skywatching and entertainment. He became Space.com's Managing Editor in 2009 and Editor-in-Chief in 2019. Before joining Space.com, Tariq was a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times covering education and city beats in La Habra, Fullerton and Huntington Beach. In October 2022, Tariq received the Harry Kolcum Award for excellence in space reporting from the National Space Club Florida Committee. He is also an Eagle Scout (yes, he has the Space Exploration merit badge) and went to Space Camp four times as a kid and a fifth time as an adult. He has journalism degrees from the University of Southern California and New York University. You can find Tariq at Space.com and as the co-host to the This Week In Space podcast with space historian Rod Pyle on the TWiT network. To see his latest project, you can follow Tariq on Twitter @tariqjmalik.