Red dwarf stars may host billions of habitable planets
Posted: Fri, Mar 30, 2012, 7:18 AM ET (1118 GMT)
Astronomers studying a sampling of red dwarf stars have concluded that these stars may collectively have billions of rocky planets in their habitable zones. European astronomers analyzed over 100 M dwarf stars using an advanced spectrograph at the European Southern Observatory. They found nine super-Earths, with masses one to ten times that of the Earth, orbiting these stars; two of the planets had orbits within the stars' habitable zones, where liquid water could exist on planetary surfaces. This frequency led astronomers to conclude that there are about 100 super-Earths in the habitable zones of red dwarf stars within 10 parsecs of Earth. Extended galaxy-wide, astronomers argued that there could be tens of billions of such planets in the Milky Way.
Astronomers studying a sampling of red dwarf stars have concluded that these stars may collectively have billions of rocky planets in their habitable zones. European astronomers analyzed over 100 M dwarf stars using an advanced spectrograph at the European Southern Observatory. They found nine super-Earths, with masses one to ten times that of the Earth, orbiting these stars; two of the planets had orbits within the stars' habitable zones, where liquid water could exist on planetary surfaces. This frequency led astronomers to conclude that there are about 100 super-Earths in the habitable zones of red dwarf stars within 10 parsecs of Earth. Extended galaxy-wide, astronomers argued that there could be tens of billions of such planets in the Milky Way.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
FAA restricts hours for commercial launches during shutdown
Posted: Sun, Nov 9 9:05 AM ET (1405 GMT) China postpones Shenzhou-20 return on orbital debris concerns
Posted: Sun, Nov 9 8:58 AM ET (1358 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Saturday, November 15
Emirates to put Starlink on aircraft in major win for SpaceX
Bloomberg News — 5:11 am ET (1011 GMT) DOJ Issued Seizure Warrant to Starlink Over Satellite Internet Systems Used at Scam Compound
Wired News — 5:09 am ET (1009 GMT) New Glenn Rocket Aces Launch and Landing, Setting Up Space Force for More Options
Air and Space Forces Magazine — 5:06 am ET (1006 GMT) Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket landed its booster on a barge at sea – an achievement that will broaden the commercial spaceflight market
The Conversation — 5:05 am ET (1005 GMT) Second Viasat Broadband Satellite Enters Space
Aviation Week — 5:04 am ET (1004 GMT) |
