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Kepler: Many Red Dwarfs Have Earth-SIzed Planets Too

Posted by Unknown on from the prepare-for-invasion dept.

astroengine writes "Extrapolating from findings by NASA's planet-hunting Kepler Space Telescope, scientists on Wednesday said roughly six percent of so-called red dwarf stars have Earth-sized planets properly positioned around their parent stars so that liquid water could exist on their surfaces. The team looked at 95 candidate planets circling red dwarf stars observed by Kepler and found that at least 60 percent have planets smaller than Neptune. Most were not the right size or temperature to be Earth-like, but three were found to be both warm and approximately Earth-sized. Statistically that would mean six percent of all red dwarf stars should have a Earth-sized planet. Since 75 percent of the closest stars are red dwarfs, the nearest Earth-like world may be just 13 light-years away."

6 of 132 comments (clear)

  1. 14 LY from earth? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Not to nerd out but wouldn't that make it Vulcan?

  2. Nice thing about red dwarf stars by PvtVoid · · Score: 4, Interesting

    One attractive feature of red dwarf stars, it would seem to me, is that they have much longer lifetimes than sun-like stars. More time for complex life to evolve!

    1. Re:Nice thing about red dwarf stars by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 5, Interesting

      One attractive feature of red dwarf stars, it would seem to me, is that they have much longer lifetimes than sun-like stars. More time for complex life to evolve!

      On the other hand, being (necessarily, due to temperature issues) much closer to their star, these planets are likely to be tidally locked, which is *not* a good thing for complex life trying to evolve.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    2. Re:Nice thing about red dwarf stars by Dasher42 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      What about moons orbiting gas giants in the habitable zone of red dwarves - any reason to pass that up?

  3. Now he has a planet, too? by fyngyrz · · Score: 4, Funny

    Many Red Dwarfs Have Earth-SIzed Planets Too

    Are we talking about Korea's leader again?

    --
    I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
  4. The problem with Red Dwarf planets... by SailorSpork · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...is that its cold outside, and there's no kind of atmosphere. You're all alone, more or less.