Strange Sounds
September 6, 2023
Planets that contain liquid water, the key ingredient for life as we know it, may be 100 times more common than previously assumed, according to results that were presented at a major geochemistry conference on Monday.
Life on Earth emerged in the oceans that cover most of our planet’s surface, but scientists have now demonstrated that hidden subsurface bodies of water may easily form on worlds that orbit red dwarfs, which are stars that are much smaller than the Sun. The discovery has big implications in the search for alien life because red dwarfs, also known as M dwarfs, are the most abundant class of stars and are known to frequently host rocky Earth-like planets.