This article was published on June 18, 2020

These planets might host alien life, but we’d never know because they’re too dusty to see anything


These planets might host alien life, but we’d never know because they’re too dusty to see anything Image by: Icons8 (Edited)
Worlds where water forms and dust floats in the air could be likely spots to find alien life. Image credit; The Cosmic Companion / created in Universe Sandbox

[Read: Why these 4 planets are getting as much X-ray radiation as 10,000 suns]

A look at the three scenarios examined in the model at the center of this new study. Arrows represent wind speeds, while dust concentrations are denoted by color. Image credit: Denis Sergeev / University of Exeter
On worlds where planets are tidally-locked to their sun, atmospheric dust could help to warm the frozen side of the planet, while cooling the hemisphere exposed to eternal sunlight. Image credit: The Cosmic Companion / created in Universe Sandbox

This article was originally published on The Cosmic Companion by James Maynard, founder and publisher of The Cosmic Companion. He is a New England native turned desert rat in Tucson, where he lives with his lovely wife, Nicole, and Max the Cat. You can read this original piece here.

Astronomy News with The Cosmic Companion is also available as a weekly podcast, carried on all major podcast providers. Tune in every Tuesday for updates on the latest astronomy news, and interviews with astronomers and other researchers working to uncover the nature of the Universe.

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