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To Understand Exoplanet Habitability, We Need A Better Understanding Of Stellar Flaring

January 05, 2026
To Understand Exoplanet Habitability, We Need A Better Understanding Of Stellar Flaring
By Evan Gough (https://ift.tt/ZbGWhPU)

In this illustration, powerful flaring from a red dwarf star strips away the atmosphere from an orbiting exoplanet. Astronomers are working to understand if this type of flaring prevents exoplanets around red dwarfs from being habitable. A survey of exoplanets around red dwarfs by the upcoming Extremely Large Telescope may uncover an answer, but the telescope is a few years away from observations. Image Credit: NASA, ESA and D. Player (STScI)

Without a better grasp of stellar flaring, our understanding of exoplanet habitability is at an impasse. Red dwarfs are the most numerous type of star in the galaxy, and they host many rocky exoplanets in their habitable zones. The problem is, they're known to flare so violently that it may negate their habitable zones. A group of researchers propose a new telescope designed solely to study stellar flaring.



January 6, 2026 at 02:11AM
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