Many rocky planets from beyond our solar system glow with volcanic scars, yet their crusts sit frozen in place, locked together like a single giant shield. Is it possible that these planets host conditions that would be friendly to life? Matthew Reinhold, a doctoral researcher, and Laura Schaefer, an assistant professor at Stanford University, created detailed computer models showing that …
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Volcanic Planets That May Be Ideal for Life
Recent research from Stanford University has revealed a groundbreaking finding about rocky exoplanets that seem inhospitable due to their volcanic activity. Many of these planets, which display volcanic scars but have static crusts, may actually harbor conditions conducive to life. The study, led by doctoral researcher Matthew Reinhold and assistant professor Laura Schaefer, shows that despite their outwardly harsh environments, …
Read More »‘Pebble’ beaches around young stars join together to form planets
A key method of forming planets finally has observational evidence, thanks to a network of radio telescopes in the U.K. that have resolved the existence of a huge abundance of centimeter-sized pebbles that will stick together and grow into planets around two young stars. “This is potentially enough to build planetary systems larger than our own solar system,” said Katie …
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