More than 4,000 other planets have been observed as they orbit their local star. Raw statistics infer that more than 100 billion planets could be found within the Milky Way. As expected, they are present in a rich selection of sizes and traits, with many being thought to be impossible before the existence of exoplanets was discovered in the 1990s.
Many researchers hope to track down a planet that features life that is more complex than microbes, with the ultimate goal being a planet that features intelligent life.
One of the most significant factors that have to be taken into account when searching for habitable planets is the existence of compatible stars that contribute to the development of complex organisms.
It is essential to the take into account that life evolved for more than 4 billion years on Earth before the current stage was achieved.
Earth-like Exoplanet That Could Support Alien Life Were Found
Previous research has shown that only 10% of the stars present in the Milky Way are similar to our Sun, and most of them have a very short lifespan. On the other hand, it is estimated that the Sun has reached only half of its anticipated ten billion-year lifetime.
To accelerate the pace at which research takes place, scientists have decided to focus more on orange dwarfs, a type of starts that can support complex alien life and will continue to generate energy for billions of years. Some estimation infers that for any regular star found within the galaxy, there are at least three orange dwarfs.
While red dwarfs tend to surface more often, they are quite inhospitable as they release lethal radiation in the form of X-rays and ultraviolet light at a rate that is up to 500 times higher than that of the Sun.
A team of researchers has discovered that K stars are more suitable for habitable planets since they release a considerably lower amount of radiation. More data can be found in a scientific journal.
As our second lead editor, Anna C. Mackinno provides guidance on the stories Great Lakes Ledger reporters cover. She has been instrumental in making sure the content on the site is clear and accurate for our readers. If you see a particularly clever title, you can likely thank Anna. Anna received a BA and and MA from Fordham University.