M – dwarfs tagged posts

Presence of Airborne Dust could signify Increased Habitability of Distant Planets

A visualization of three computer simulations of terrestrial exoplanets, showing winds (arrows) and airborne dust (color scale), with an M-dwarf host star in the background. Created by Denis Sergeev, STFC funded postdoctoral researcher at the University of Exeter. CREDIT Denis Sergeev/ University of Exeter

Scientists have expanded our understanding of potentially habitable planets orbiting distant stars by including a critical climate component – the presence of airborne dust.

The researchers suggest that planets with significant airborne dust – similar to the world portrayed in the classic sci-fi Dune – could be habitable over a greater range of distances from their parent star, therefore increasing the window for planets capable of sustaining life.

The team from the University ...

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