Space & Astronomy

Overlooked F-type stars could support habitable extrasolar worlds

By T.K. Randall
October 8, 2024 ·  0 comments

G-type are not the only stars capable of supporting life. Image Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech When it comes to seeking out other planets suitable for life, astronomers tend to focus on rocky, terrestrial worlds situated in their star's habitable (or Goldilocks) zone - the narrow region in which the temperature is just right for liquid water to exist on a planet's surface.

A major factor in identifying such a zone in a distant solar system is the type of star it has. Our own sun, for example, is a G-type star, but this is not the only type capable of supporting life.

In a new study published in the Astrophysical Journal, scientists focused on studying F-type stars which are yellowish-white in color as well as larger and slightly hotter than G-type stars.

While they have a smaller life-span than G-type stars, their habitable zone tends to be larger.In the study, the researchers looked at 206 examples of F-type stars with planetary systems and were able to identify 18 in which planets were thought to pass through their star's habitable zone.

"F-type stars are usually considered the high-luminosity end of stars with a serious prospect for allowing an environment for planets favorable for life," the study authors wrote.

"Although F-type stars have a shorter lifetime than our sun, they have a wider habitable zone. In short, F-type stars are not hopeless in the context of astrobiology."

The researchers even identified one planet - HD 111998 - which remains in its star's habitable zone on a permanent basis. Although it is a Jupiter-type planet that is unlikely to be able to support life itself, it is thought to have several moons which could potentially harbor habitable environments.

Actually getting there to find out, however, would be a bit of a challenge because this distant extrasolar world is situated a rather insurmountable 108 light-years from the Earth.

Source: Cosmos Magazine | Comments (0)

Tags: Star, Planet