[connorgutman]

Regardless of the official definition, the word “habitable” is highly subjective. Extremophiles like tardigrades can survive being frozen and/or completely dehydrated. A planet with an eccentric orbit like this one could hypothetically support species capable of entering some form of extreme hibernation during part of their year.

[ziddoap]

>the word “habitable” is highly subjective.

Sure, but not in the context of "habitable zone" which is a specific term of art in astrobiology.

[ceejayoz]

> specific term of art...

And that's fine, but when communicating outside the speciality, I'd really like to see some other term used.

https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/government/2025... for example says "Kansas tuberculosis outbreak is now America's largest in recorded history", where "recorded history" is apparently the CDC's "term of art" for "since 1950", which isn't what a layperson hears.

[hajola]

While it's possible for conditions for life to emerge or sustain itself to be present beyond the habitable zone (e.g. there's likely a subsurface ocean orbiting the farthest plant from the Sun on Triton), afawk it is more probable that life forms in the habitable zone. That is the only one we have a data point for.

[ceejayoz]

A sample size of one tells us it it possible, but nothing about what’s most likely.

[glenstein]

>Regardless of the official definition, the word “habitable” is highly subjective

Well, one constructive way to take it out of the realm of subjectivity is to put forward a specific definition.