Unlocking The Secrets Of K-Dwarfs: A New Frontier In The Search For Livable Planets

In the vast expanse of the cosmos, a multitude of stars remain overlooked, yet they may hold the key to discovering livable planets. K-dwarfs, a type of star that is fainter and colder than the sun, are scattered throughout the galaxy. Notably, in the vicinity of Earth, there are twice as many K-dwarfs as stars that resemble the sun.

These stars have a remarkable ___span, shining for 15 to 45 billion years, which provides a stable environment for their planetary companions. Sebastián Carrazco-Gaxiola, a Ph. D. candidate in astronomy at Georgia State University, led the first comprehensive survey of thousands of K-dwarfs. According to Carrazco-Gaxiola, “a long-term, stable environment for their planetary companions” is offered by these stars.

The survey, presented at an American Astronomical Society meeting, examined over 2,000 K-dwarfs within 130 light-years of Earth. Utilizing high-tech spectrographs at the Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory in Chile and the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory in Arizona, the team collected detailed spectra measurements. These measurements enabled astronomers to determine the age, spin rate, temperature, and location of the K-dwarfs, among other crucial details ← →