https://www.earthmagazine.org/tags/red-dwarf/ Recent content in Red Dwarf on EARTH Magazine Hugo en-US American Geosciences Institute. All rights reserved. Thu, 20 Aug 2015 13:31:19 -0400 https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/comment-exoplanets-life-terminator/ Thu, 20 Aug 2015 13:31:19 -0400 https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/comment-exoplanets-life-terminator/ <figure class="earth-figure"> <img src="https://www.americangeosciences.org/static/earth/comment-exoplanets-life-terminator/terminator.jpg" alt="Credit: Callan Bentley." loading="eager" decoding="async"> <figcaption>Credit: Callan Bentley.</figcaption> </figure> <p>Small, cool, red dwarf stars are the most abundant type of star in the universe and compose most of our stellar neighborhoods. Red dwarfs also have the longest lifetime of any stellar type. Compared to larger, yellow dwarf stars like our sun, which typically have adult lifetimes of about 10 billion years, red dwarfs can sustain themselves for up to 100 billion years or longer, making them excellent candidates for hosting life-bearing exoplanets. On many of the exoplanets where we&rsquo;d be looking for life, the habitable zone lies on the line between sunlight and shadow, which, ironically, is called &ldquo;the terminator.&rdquo;</p> https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/scientists-find-watery-super-earth/ Thu, 05 Jan 2012 06:41:58 -0500 https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/scientists-find-watery-super-earth/ <figure class="earth-figure"> <img src="https://www.americangeosciences.org/static/earth/scientists-find-watery-super-earth/i-329-7d9-c-10.jpg" alt="Newly discovered super-Earth GJ 1214b orbits a red dwarf star 40 light-years from Earth in this artist&#39;s conception. David A. Aguilar, CfA" loading="eager" decoding="async"> <figcaption>Newly discovered super-Earth GJ 1214b orbits a red dwarf star 40 light-years from Earth in this artist&#39;s conception. David A. Aguilar, CfA</figcaption> </figure> <p>The search for Earth-like planets has never looked better. Scientists say they have discovered a water-rich planet that is only 2.7 times larger than Earth. Although positioned just outside the habitable zone for life, the planet gives scientists their best hope yet that other Earth-like planets exist in our universe.</p>