The search for alien life just got a bit more complicated.
Astronomers analyzed solar flares from 300,000 Milky Way stars using data collected by the GALEX space telescope.
In some cases, the flares reached up to 12 times that level.
Red Dwarfs could be shooting out solar flares that are much more powerful than previously believed.© NASA/ESA/G. Bacon (STScI)
Few stars have been thought to generate enough UV radiation through flares to impact planet habitability.
Why red dwarfs are shooting out such powerful flares isnt entirely clear.
Whatever the cause, the flares would be a major hindrance to any possible life on nearby planets.
Red dwarfs account for roughly 75% of the known stars in the Milky Way.
Red dwarfs are relatively dim compared to our Sun, and none can be seen with thenaked eye.
News from the future, delivered to your present.
You May Also Like
Did Scientists Detect Life on Another Planet?
A Double Sunblast Could Mean Auroras Over the U.S. ## We Keep Coming Up Empty in the Search for Alien Life.
