A new analysis of Kepler data shows that one-third of small stars called M dwarfs may have the potential to host life.
The sun is an ordinary star, but it's not the only kind of star out there. Most stars in our galaxy are M dwarfs , which are significantly smaller and redder than the sun — and many of them may have the potential to host life, new research shows.
For the analysis, astronomers at the University of Florida incorporated new information from the European Space Agency's Gaia satellite, which precisely measures the distances and motions of stars, to fine-tune measurements of exoplanets' orbits. The researchers wanted to pin down a parameter of each orbit known as eccentricity, a measure of how stretched out the planet's path around its star is.
If a planet around an M dwarf was further away, that distance may prevent torment by tidal heating — but, then the planet would be too cold, lacking the warmth needed for life. Therefore, exoplanets around M dwarfs must live close to their stars for even a chance of being warm enough for life, putting them at risk of tidal heating if their orbit isn’t a clean circle.
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